Death penalty sought for Korean murderer in Pattaya

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Photo courtesy of VN Express International

 

By Puntid Tantivangphaisal

 

Prosecutors in South Korea are demanding the death penalty for two men accused of the chilling murder of a Korean tourist in Thailand, an act described as both premeditated and brutal. Court officials confirmed the request today, as grisly details of the crime emerged.

 

The suspects, 39 year old Kim Hyeong Gwon and a 27 year old surnamed Lee, face charges of murder during a robbery, desecration of a body, and attempted extortion. Prosecutors also called for a life sentence for a third accomplice, a 25 year old, also surnamed Lee. The verdicts will be delivered by the Changwon District Court on January 16, 2025.

 

The horrifying crime unfolded on May 3 in Pattaya, Thailand. The suspects reportedly met their victim, a 34 year old Korean, at a Bangkok nightclub. Prosecutors allege the men lured him to Pattaya in a rented car, where they killed him before attempting to erase his identity. They allegedly stuffed his body into a plastic barrel, filled it with cement, and dumped it in a reservoir.

 

 

The accused didn’t stop there. Using the victim’s phone, they withdrew 3.7 million Korean won (around 88,000 baht) and demanded an additional 100 million won from his family. Chillingly, they made the ransom call on May 7, days after the murder, threatening to kill the victim—who was already dead.

 

Thai police, in cooperation with Interpol, tracked the suspects across Cambodia, Myanmar, and South Korea. By September, all three were in custody. Investigations revealed they had met through a job advert for a voice phishing scam, reported The Korea Herald.

 

With the sentencing date approaching, the case has reignited debates on capital punishment and international crime syndicates, as police describe the crime as “calculated and heinous.”

 

Source: The Thaiger

-- 2024-12-18