Seoul, Washington team up for crackdown on fugitives

By Park Si-soo

The prosecution has agreed with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to share information about criminal suspects fleeing to the United States for easier capture and extradition to Seoul. So far, the U.S. authorities have only opened investigation after receiving intelligence via Seoul’s justice and foreign ministries. Also, it has taken months or, in the worst case, up to years for the U.S. to decide whether to extradite Korean fugitives.

Under the agreement intelligence on suspects will be delivered to the U.S. counterpart virtually on a “real-time” basis, ensuring easier detainment and quicker decisions on extradition.

The U.S. department will be obliged to support Korean prosecutors in tracking down suspicious cash flows and seizing property of Korean suspects. Those confirmed to have violated U.S. Immigration Law will be immediately sent back to Seoul without taking the cumbersome steps for processing the extradition, Korean prosecutors said.

The intelligence sharing is also expected to shorten the time for the screening of Korean suspects to be extradited.

To make the cross-border investigation less complicated, the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office of South Korea signed a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. department, Monday.

“With the agreement, we took one step forward in international investigation” said Prosecutor General Kim Joon-gyu. “We will extend the intelligence-sharing format to include Japan and China.”

John T. Morton, assistant secretary of homeland security for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, participated in the signing event.

Jeon Yoon-soo, chairman of Sungwon Corporation, is the first Korean to be affected by the initiative, officials said. Chun fled to the U.S. early this year, without paying 12.3 billion won ($10.6 million) in monthly pay and severance pay to employees. Jeon was recently nabbed and will be sent back to Seoul for questioning.

Officials believe the initiative will help resolve many cold cases — one of which is a 1997 homicide in Itaewon, Seoul. A probe into the case has been suspended for nearly a decade since Arthur Patterson, the prime suspect, left for the U.S. in 1999. His whereabouts are unknown.

According to the Ministry of Justice, as of July, 876 criminal suspects are hiding overseas — nearly 70 percent of them are embroiled in financial fraud, embezzlement or breach of trust.

The U.S. was the preferred shelter with 33 percent or 291 suspects fleeing there, followed by China with 195, the Philippines with 76 and Thailand with 51, the ministry said.