Police investigating the killing of a Korean college student in Cambodia have arrested the ringleader of a domestic ring that recruited people for bank accounts under borrowed names and sent the victim to Cambodia.
The Criminal Mobile Unit of the North Gyeongsang Provincial Police said on Oct. 17 it had arrested A, a recruiter in their 20s for bank accounts under borrowed names, on suspicion of directly helping a college student surnamed Park, 22, leave for Cambodia.
In July, A allegedly received an introduction to Park from Hong, a broker of bank accounts under borrowed names in their 20s who is under detention and indictment, had an account opened in Park's name, and made Park leave for Cambodia.
On July 17, Park left for Cambodia under the group's instructions and was found dead three weeks later, on Aug. 8, in a car near Bokor Mountain in Kampot Province.
After the incident, police arrested Hong, a recruiter for a distribution ring of bank accounts under borrowed names who was involved in Park's departure, questioned the circumstances, and sent the case to prosecutors. Hong was found to have attended the same university as Park. Hong was brought to trial on charges including violating the Electronic Financial Transactions Act.
Police are investigating how Park was sent to Cambodia and any additional parties involved, and plan to seek an arrest warrant for A.
Meanwhile, Park's body is currently placed at a temple in Cambodia. At the request of the joint response team dispatched by the Korean government, if consultations between the two countries proceed smoothly, an autopsy is expected as early as Oct. 20–21. After the autopsy, the body will be cremated locally and repatriated to Korea.