Former Star Mobility chairman Kim Bong-hyun (pictured), who fled after turning off his electronic devices before the trial, was caught by the prosecution after 49 days.
The Seoul Southern District Prosecutor’s Office’s 6th Detective Division (Chief Prosecutor Lee Jun-dong) arrested former chairman Kim, who was hiding in an apartment in Dongtan New Town, Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do, around 3:57 pm on the 29th.
Heo Jeong, second deputy chief prosecutor of the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office, said at a press briefing that day, “During the arrest process, there was a considerable commotion, such as former chairman Kim trying to escape through the 9th floor veranda window.” said.
The prosecution set up a team dedicated to arresting a total of 23 people, including five investigators from the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, to track down former Vice Chairman Kim. The dedicated team executed a total of 50 seizure and search warrants and analyzed the communications of more than 100 subjects to confirm the escape route of former chairman Kim. After finding out whereabouts of former chairman Kim, the prosecution opened the apartment door with the help of the fire department and arrested former chairman Kim.
On the 11th of last month, right before the final trial, former chairman Kim cut off the electronic device he was wearing on his wrist and ran away on bail near Paldang Bridge in Hanam City. He was arrested and indicted in May 2020, but released on bail in July last year.
The prosecution cooperated with the Coast Guard to crack down on former chairman Kim’s smuggling. Prosecutors arrested people around them to pressure former chairman Kim to turn himself in. Mr. A, the nephew of former Chairman Kim, was arrested on charges of damaging public property after driving a car and driving him to the vicinity of Paldang Bridge and helping him damage electronic devices. Two acquaintances who helped former chairman Kim escape were also arrested on charges of escaping the criminal. On the 28th, the prosecution issued an arrest warrant for former chairman Kim’s older sister on charges of being a fugitive, invalidating her passport and requesting a red notice from Interpol.