THE Bureau of Immigration (BI) at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) terminal 3 yesterday implemented a mass deportation of 49 South Korean fugitives who are wanted for fraud in their country.
Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said the deportation follows the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. to ensure the swift removal of foreign fugitives from the country.
The deportation was arranged in coordination with the South Korean Embassy, which provided logistical assistance to expedite the deportation of the 49 individuals.
The arrested fugitives were made up of 6 females and 43 males. All were summarily deported after being tagged by their government as fugitives from justice.
“Most of those deported faced cases of fraud in South Korea,” Viado said, adding: “We are grateful for the strong partnership with the South Korean government to make sure that these criminals are returned to their home country to face justice.”
Viado said the decongestion of the BI’s holding facility and the speedy deportation of illegal aliens remain a priority of his administration.
Among those deported is Choi Hojun, 36, who was arrested by the BI fugitive search unit (FSU) agents in Angeles City, Pampanga last April 14. Choi is wanted in South Korea for allegedly being the mastermind of a messaging phishing syndicate based in China and the Philippines. Their criminal organization reportedly transferred a total of KRW 1.7 billion by illegally accessing sensitive information, particularly banking data, of around 200 victims.
Another deportee, identified as Han Jonghoon, 42, was arrested by the FSU in Annapolis, San Juan City last July 4 for allegedly operating 23 illegal online gambling websites targeting Koreans, and reportedly pocketing more than KRW 2 trillion in profits.
Also deported were Jung Hoesung, 40 and Choi Byeongil, 44. Jung is wanted in Korea for operating illegal online platforms and subjecting recruits to intimidation and physical assault, while Choi is wanted for allegedly being the mastermind behind a real estate deposit loan scam, embezzling billions of Korean won.
“Today’s deportees are all subjects of summary deportations after being tagged by the South Korean government as fugitives from justice. In effect, they have been flagged by the Bureau of Immigration as undesirable aliens, and their names have been added to our blacklist,” Viado said.
The fugitives were escorted back to South Korea by representatives from BI and the South Korean government.
The last deportation of South Koreans in this number was in 2017, when the BI sent home 47 fugitives.
Viado said another batch of South Korean fugitives currently being held at the BI detention facility in Taguig is also scheduled to be deported “soon.”
“We reiterate that this is more than just deportation, this is about sending a clear message, that the Philippines will not be a safe haven for fugitives. We are committed to upholding justice, side by side with our international partners,” he said.
South Koreans topped the list of foreign fugitives arrested in the country in 2023 and 2024, with 39 and 74 respectively.
