Lee asks for Philippines' support to repatriate S. Korean drug trafficker

▲ President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a meeting with Korean residents in the Philippines at a hotel in Manila on March 4, 2026. (Yonhap)

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Lee asks for Philippines' support to repatriate S. Korean drug trafficker

By Kim Eun-jung

MANILA, March 4 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung said Wednesday he has asked for the Philippines' cooperation in temporarily bringing a South Korean national detained in the Southeast Asian nation back to face justice at home over his drug trafficking allegations.

Lee disclosed the request made during his summit talks with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. the previous day, as part of efforts to combat transnational crime and address security concerns among Korean residents in the Philippines.

"Although cases involving Korean nationals at home have significantly declined, incidents affecting Korean residents in the Philippines appear to be rising," Lee said during a meeting with Korean residents in Manila, noting the government is paying attention to the issue.

Lee specifically mentioned a South Korean criminal surnamed Park, who is detained in a Philippine prison for killing three South Koreans and is suspected of trafficking drugs to South Korea through the social media platform Telegram.

He was apparently referring to Park Wang-yeol, known as the "Telegram drug kingpin," who has been serving a 60-year prison sentence in the Philippines since 2022.

Lee said he requested Park's temporary repatriation to allow Korean authorities to investigate his case and Marcos said he would actively review the matter and implement it in the near future.

In addition, he asked Marcos to step up efforts to apprehend suspects in the case of South Korean businessman Jee Ick-joo, who was killed by Philippine police in 2016.

Ji was kidnapped for ransom by Philippine police officers and later killed. While two accomplices were sentenced to life imprisonment in 2023, a senior official who allegedly orchestrated the murder was acquitted and his whereabouts remain unknown.

Lee said Marcos responded that he would do his best, noting that Seoul is also considering mobilizing its capabilities to assist with the arrest.

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