President Lee Jae-myung expressed gratitude to Philippine authorities following news that a former Philippine police officer who murdered businessman Ji Ick-joo in 2016 was arrested Tuesday.
"I thank the Philippine authorities for their efforts," Lee said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that day. "After months of pursuit, we have finally arrested the former local police officer who murdered our citizen." He also added, "The police, the National Intelligence Service, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs all worked hard."
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Rafael Dumlao, a former team leader at the Philippine National Police's Anti-Illegal Drugs Group and the main culprit in Ji's murder, was arrested by Philippine police in Manila that day. The Ji case is considered a representative example of violent crime targeting Koreans in the Philippines and has been treated as a major issue between the two countries.
During his state visit to the Philippines in March, Lee addressed the Ji case at a meeting with the Korean community. "I requested that the perpetrator be caught quickly, and President Marcos said he would do his best. The Republic of Korea is also considering devoting its capabilities to the arrest," he said at the time.
