Repatriated criminal Park Wang-yeol shows hostility toward TV producer behind Philippine prison interview that triggered public anger in S. Korea in 2023
The repatriation of Park Wang-yeol — a convicted killer and alleged drug lord — made headlines in South Korea on Thursday, largely for its rarity. It is unusual for a prisoner serving a sentence abroad to be transferred at the direct request of the Korean president.
But what also drew attention was his behavior upon arrival. Surrounded by police escorts and reporters, Park appeared to hurl a remark at someone in the crowd, saying, “You’re not even a man.”
As Park emerged from the arrival gate at Incheon Airport at around 7:16 a.m. Wednesday, flanked by dozens of police officers, he was immediately surrounded by reporters firing a barrage of questions, including whether he admitted to the drug charges.
Without wearing a mask, like most criminal suspects do in South Korea, and in handcuffs, he walked in silence. Then, he suddenly pointed at one of the reporters and said the remark.
It later emerged that he had likely made the remark after recognizing, among the crowd, a JTBC producer who had previously covered his drug trafficking ring.
“When I said (to him), ‘It’s been a while,’ his eyes suddenly widened and he pointed at me. When I approached him again and asked if he hadn’t expected to return to Korea, he snapped, ‘You’re not even a man,’" the producer, Choi Gwang-yeol said, appearing on JTBC’s Newsroom later that day.
"It was an unexpected reaction, and he seemed uneasy. If I get the chance to see him again, I would really like to ask whether he feels any shame about his crimes.”
In 2023, Choi’s investigative team visited Park at the New Bilibid Prison, where he had been detained for murder, with permission from the Philippine government.
The team secretly recorded and aired an interview with him, revealing his criminal activities and the privileges he appeared to enjoy in prison despite the gravity of his crimes, including access to a smartphone.
Park’s repatriation came about just three weeks after South Korean President Lee Jae Myung requested Manila's cooperation during summit talks with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
The 48-year-old was brought to South Korea under the extradition treaty between the two countries, which allows for temporary repatriation for criminal proceedings by suspending trial or the execution of a sentence in the Philippines.
The convicted criminal has been serving a 60-year prison sentence in the Philippines since 2022 for killing three Koreans in a sugarcane field in Bacolor, Pampanga province in 2016.
Park is also suspected of operating a large-scale drug trafficking network under the Telegram alias "Worldwide," which allegedly smuggled large quantities of drugs from the Philippines into the country via social media platforms.
The Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency has formed a 20-member task force to investigate Park’s case, comprising narcotics investigators and virtual asset analysts.
Police said they are closely examining his additional offenses, possible accomplices and the methods used, while also seeking to recover his illicit gains.
cjh@heraldcorp.com
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