A South Korean murder suspect, Kim Hyeong-won, who had been on the run for months, has been captured in Vietnam following a dramatic chase across Southeast Asia. The 38-year-old is wanted for a gruesome killing in Pattaya and has since been extradited to South Korea, where he will face justice.
Kim was arrested in Hanoi’s Dong Da district after a lengthy manhunt that began in Pattaya. On May 3, he and two accomplices allegedly committed a brutal murder, hiding the victim’s body in a plastic container and dumping it in a lake. Despite his attempts to evade capture, an international search was launched for him.
After fleeing Thailand, Kim took a perilous route through Laos before entering Vietnam through illegal land crossings. He moved through Da Nang and then to Hanoi, frequently changing hotels to avoid detection. His fugitive lifestyle ended when local police became suspicious of his behavior. A thorough investigation revealed his true identity as an internationally wanted murderer.
In a coordinated operation by the Ministry of Public Security’s Foreign Affairs Department, police arrested Kim. He was fined 4 million Vietnamese dong (approximately 5,300 baht) for illegally entering Vietnam, but the more serious charges await him in South Korea.
On September 23, Kim was officially handed over to South Korean authorities, where he now faces trial for the horrific crime committed in Pattaya.
In a related case, two suspects have been arrested for the murder of another South Korean national, Roh Eui-jong, in Chon Buri. Roh was reportedly strangled and entombed in concrete inside a barrel by the suspects during a trip to Pattaya. An unnamed accomplice confessed to spiking Roh’s drink with a sleeping pill, overpowering him when he awoke, and later concealing his body in a barrel, which was discovered in Map Prachan Reservoir over the weekend.
Two arrests connected to this case were made—one in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on May 14, and another in South Korea’s Gyeongnam province on May 12. The third suspect, Kim Hyeong-won, is believed to have fled towards the Myanmar border.
Khlong Tan police have taken custody of the vehicle used in the crime for forensic analysis, with results expected soon. The Southern Bangkok Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for the three suspects on charges including murder, body concealment, illicit confinement, and theft.
