Choi, 51, known as the "Cheongdam Boss" and extradited from Thailand on charges of supplying some 10 billion won ($7.3 million) worth of methamphetamine and other narcotics to drug kingpin Park Wang-yeol, was arrested Wednesday.
Judge Park So-young of the Suwon District Court held a pre-detention hearing for Choi, who faces charges including violation of the Act on the Control of Narcotics, at around 3:30 p.m. and issued an arrest warrant, citing "risks of flight and evidence destruction."
Earlier, Choi left the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency's Narcotics and International Crime Investigation Unit office at around 2:05 p.m. to attend the detention hearing. He headed to a prison transport vehicle without responding to reporters' questions about whether he admitted to the charges. During police questioning, Choi reportedly admitted to some separate drug-related charges but flatly denied any connection to Park Wang-yeol, the central target of the investigation, stating that Park was "someone I don't know."
Choi is accused of smuggling or distributing about 10 billion won worth of narcotics into Korea since 2019, including 22 kilograms of methamphetamine. Using aliases such as "Cheongdam" and "Cheongdam Boss" on Telegram, Choi reportedly led a lavish lifestyle, owning high-value real estate in Seoul's upscale Cheongdam-dong district with his family and driving supercars.
Korean police obtained clues that Choi served as a drug supplier while investigating Park Wang-yeol, who was extradited from the Philippines on March 25. Authorities subsequently established a dedicated investigation team centered on the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency to track his whereabouts. Although no official departure records for Choi had been confirmed since 2018, police secured intelligence that he was staying in Thailand and, in cooperation with local authorities, apprehended him in Thailand on the 10th of last month.
Park Wang-yeol, to whom Choi allegedly supplied the drugs, was indicted and detained on the 22nd of last month on charges including violation of the Act on the Control of Narcotics, to which the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes was applied. He is awaiting his first trial. Park is accused of importing 4.8 kilograms of methamphetamine from the Philippines, Mexico, and South Africa between January 2020 and July 2024. The wholesale value of the drugs is estimated at 450 million won.
Park also faces charges of selling the smuggled methamphetamine using the so-called "throwing" method, in which drugs are hidden in pre-arranged locations for buyers to pick up, and of managing various types of drugs, including methamphetamine, in Seoul and Busan. He is also accused of receiving various narcotics, including instructing an accomplice to retrieve 1,575 ecstasy tablets hidden in Incheon.
