"He even calls his girlfriend to the prison to hang out"... Who is Park Wang-yeol, mentioned by President Lee in the Philippines?

[Financial News] The prison life of so-called "drug king" Park Wang-yeol, who is known to have distributed narcotics to South Korea while incarcerated in Philippine prisons, is drawing renewed attention.

Earlier, on the 4th, President Lee Jae-myung referred to Park Wang-yeol during a meeting with Korean residents held in Manila, The Philippines. He said, "There is a man who killed three South Koreans and, even while being held in a Philippine prison, sends drugs to South Korea via Telegram," adding, "I heard he even calls in his girlfriend to the prison to spend time with her." Lee stated that he had asked Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. to allow Park's temporary extradition.

The person singled out by the president is Park Wang-yeol, often described as one of the "three major drug lords of Southeast Asia." He is known for trafficking narcotics via Telegram.

In October 2016, Park became a suspect in the "Sugarcane Field Murders," in which three South Koreans were killed in The Philippines. After escaping from custody twice, he was recaptured by Philippine authorities in 2020 and is now serving a 60-year prison sentence.

However, it later emerged that he had supplied narcotics worth about 30 billion won to South Korea even while behind bars. A man known domestically as a key drug ringleader, identified only as A, is also believed to have received drugs from Park.

In a television interview conducted inside a Philippine prison, Park boasted, "If I talk, South Korea will be turned upside down," and claimed, "Quite a few prosecutors would have to take off their robes."

In the same broadcast, a police official who had investigated the case explained that the prison where Park is held is "virtually like a village for criminals, where inmates are free not only to watch TV and exercise but even to meet their girlfriends."
South Korea and The Philippines have signed an extradition treaty, but in principle, an inmate must first complete their sentence in the local jurisdiction before being sent back to South Korea.

However, if the two countries reach an agreement, he can be brought to South Korea for trial under a "temporary extradition" arrangement. The Ministry of Justice requested Park's extradition once in 2018, but the Philippine government put the request on hold.


hsg@fnnews.com Han Seung-gon Reporter