Lee thanks Philippine president for assistance in repatriating notorious drug trafficker

▲ President Lee Jae Myung (2nd from L) speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on March 24, 2026. (Yonhap)

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Lee thanks Philippine president for assistance in repatriating notorious drug trafficker

By Yi Wonju

SEOUL, March 25 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung on Wednesday expressed appreciation to Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for his cooperation in repatriating a notorious South Korean criminal convicted in Manila over alleged cross-border drug trafficking and murder.

In a post on social media platform X, Lee vowed to "track down anyone who harms the South Korean people to the end of the Earth," as he shared a news report on the repatriation.

"On behalf of the Korean people, I extend my deepest gratitude to President Marcos for his cooperation in promoting friendship and justice between our two nations," Lee wrote.

The convicted criminal, Park Wang-yeol, has been serving a 60-year prison sentence in the Philippines since 2022 for killing three South Koreans in 2016.

The 48-year-old is also suspected of smuggling drugs into South Korea through accomplices via social media platforms and is known as a "drug kingpin" operating under the Telegram alias "Worldwide."

Wednesday's repatriation came about three weeks after Lee requested Manila's cooperation during summit talks with Marcos, following more than nine years of efforts by Seoul to secure his return.

Park 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.

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