Park Wang-yeol, who operated as a "drug king" in Southeast Asia before being repatriated to South Korea recently, has been referred to prosecutors on charges of selling and distributing drugs worth 13.1 billion won ($9.6 million). Police said they plan to expand their investigation into hidden criminal proceeds and suspected links to celebrities.
The Gyeonggi Northern Provincial Police Agency said Tuesday that it detained and referred Park on charges including organizing a criminal group and violations of the Aggravated Punishment Act for specific crimes involving psychotropic substances. Police estimate the total scale of drugs he smuggled or distributed at approximately 13.1 billion won.
According to police, drugs seized or intercepted during smuggling and distribution attempts by Park from November 2019 to August 2024 totaled 17.7 kilograms, including 12.7 kilograms of methamphetamine. The seized drugs alone are valued at 6.3 billion won. Through bank account analysis, police also identified 6.8 billion won in proceeds from drugs already sold. The case has been transferred to the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office Joint Government Task Force on Drug Crimes, a unit comprising roughly 80 personnel.
Park was imprisoned in the Philippines after murdering three Korean nationals at a sugarcane field in 2016. He escaped from prison in 2019. While on the run, he learned that distributing drugs to South Korea could generate hundreds of millions of won in profit and began his criminal operation. He learned drug sales and distribution methods from a fellow inmate known as "Sara Kim" and opened a sales channel on Telegram.
The operation was highly organized. Park took on the role of ringleader, recruiting buyers under the alias "Drug King." Smuggled drugs were separately managed by a domestic boss known as "Cheongdam" and delivered to buyers in small, concealed drops — a method known in Korean drug slang as "throwing." As the organization grew, Park recruited 15 additional members including mid-level dealers, account managers, and money launderers. He also prohibited direct contact among members to prevent chain arrests.
