American criminal to be deported

By Yun Suh-young

An American who committed serious offenses in the United States and then fled to Korea as a fugitive will be deported, the Ministry of Justice said Thursday.

The American identified only by his initial “J” was an active gang member in the U.S. and was under probation for criminal offenses including drug use and assault.

While on probation, J fled to Korea last year.

The special investigation unit of the Korea Immigration Service said Thursday that it caught the man and is currently questioning him.

The 32-year-old had committed 16 offenses in the U.S. and an arrest warrant for him was issued by the Los Angeles police following his escape.

His offenses included use of harmful drugs and assault using a lethal weapon. The man had also taken drugs while in Korea.

The investigation unit had been tracing the whereabouts of the man since October and he was arrested Wednesday near Ansan, Gyeonggi Province.

The unit said the American is subject to deportation as he has stayed in the country since December as an illegal alien and violated the Immigration Law.