Royal Thai Police in Bangkok are actively pursuing the arrest of two suspects in the murder of South Korean tourist Roh Eui Jon. The victim was found stuffed in a concrete-filled bin. Suspect Kim Hyeong Won, still at large, is believed to be in Burma. Amazingly it has emerged that he spoke with the victim’s Thai wife after the murder of her husband admitting he strangled Roh Eui Jon during a car journey to Pattaya.
Royal Thai Police in Bangkok are actively pursuing the arrest of two men already held in connection with the murder of a South Korean tourist. Investigators are not satisfied with the story emerging from suspects nabbed in South Korea and Cambodia. At length, they claim the victim died in a struggle inside a car after his abduction from a nightlife centre. Certainly, the case is making headlines in South Korea, with South Korean media outlets looking for answers. Mr Roh Eui Jon’s body was found by police last Saturday stuffed into a plastic bin with concrete. He was a regular visitor to Thailand as a tourist and had a Thai wife. However, it has since emerged that the South Korean’s wife spoke to his murderer after his disappearance. This is 35-year-old Kim Hyeong Won, who is still at large, reportedly having crossed into Burma illegally after May 4th.
The Metropolitan Police Bureau and particularly the police at Khlong Tan Police Station in Bangkok are not buying a story being told by two of the arrested suspects in the case.
Thai police are still pursuing the three suspects after warrants were issued this week by Bangkok South Municipal Court for premeditated murder, illegal confinement and concealing a body.
Grey car used in the victim’s abduction was reportedly the location of the murder according to testimony from two of the accused and the victim’s Thai wife
Officers at Khlong Tan Police Station in the Khlong Toei district of Bangkok have recently located the car which is central to the murder case. A forensic examination is to be carried out.
However, investigators do accept that the evidence being put forward by 25-year-old Mr Lee Roun and 29-year-old Mr Lee Yong Jin tallies with statements from the victim’s Thai wife in the capital.
In short, the victim’s wife has told police she spoke with her husband’s killer after the murder. He is the only suspect still at large.
Previously, at the outset of the investigation, police in Bangkok interviewed the woman. She was not with her 34-year-old partner Roh Eui Jon on the night of May 2nd last and the early hours of May 3rd when his abduction and murder occurred.
25-year-old suspect arrested in South Korea insists he was not a party to murder. He admits to drugging the victim at the RCA nightlife complex in Bangkok
This week, on Sunday, Mr Lee Roun was arrested by South Korean police in Gyeongnam province. Subsequently, at midnight on Monday night, Mr Lee Yong Jin was nabbed by Cambodian police in Phnom Penh.
At length, Mr Lee Roun has admitted his part in the murder and made a confession to South Korean police. He is being treated by them as an accomplice. However, in Thailand and under Thai law, he is wanted for murder.
In his version of the story, he participated in drugging the victim. The three accused men met Mr Roh Eui Jon at a bar in Bangkok. This was at the popular Royal City Avenue complex in the Huai Khwang district.
In short, the South Korean admitted to leading a semi-conscious Mr Roh Eui Jon from the complex on the morning of May 3rd. Afterwards, he was taken away in a grey Honda City saloon. Presently, Thai police are examining this car.
Drugged victim allegedly murdered in the car. In short, he was strangled by Mr Kim Hyeong Won. He awoke while en route to Pattaya after being kidnapped
Certainly, Mr Lee Roun has told South Korean police that the victim was murdered in the car. This happened after it first stopped at a location in Bangkok and afterwards, motored out of the city towards Pattaya.
Thai police are seeking to establish the original purpose of the abduction.
Undeniably, the top prospect is that this was an extortion attempt that went wrong. Certainly, this is how the alarm was raised on May 7th, 4 days after the killing.
Mr Roh Eui Jon’s mother received a phone call and message demanding ฿3 million. She therefore raised the alarm through diplomatic channels.
Both accused have told police that the abducted man awoke during the journey. He resisted his abduction, and in a violent struggle, was strangled. The arrested South Korean suspects even claim to have attempted CPR.
Police at Khlong Tan Police Station say that this is also the story told by Mr Roh Eui Jon’s Thai partner. Significantly, the Thai woman claims to have spoken to the still-at-large suspect Mr Kim Hyeong Won.
Thai wife told police she spoke to the murderer after it happened. He admitted to strangling her husband. 35-year-old Kim Hyeong Won is reportedly in Burma
By his account, while speaking to the Thai woman and according to the evidence of the other arrested men, he was the man who killed the victim.
He is still at large having illegally crossed the Thai border into Burma sometime after May 4th. Burma is presently in a state of conflict with a civil war raging in the country.
In the initial stages of the inquiry, the police described the woman’s testimony as extremely useful. She has not been identified.
Nevertheless, Thai police are adamant that the story of unexpected violence leading to the victim’s death does not complete this case. Meanwhile, they are still pushing Interpol to have the arrested men extradited to Thailand.
Officers point to the rental of an apartment in the Rom Klao area of Bangkok from May 1st to May 3rd.
Similarly, a short-term lease of a single-story property in the Mo Prachan area of Chonburi near the reservoir.
Plot to conceal the body failed as police CCTV footage witnessed at first-hand every step taken by the South Korean gang. The body was quickly recovered
Later, this was where the plot to place the body in a plastic bin was hatched and carried out.
However, the elaborate scheme involving hardware purchases and the rental of a pickup truck was all captured on CCTV by Thai police. At length, investigators tracked the body to the nearby reservoir near Pattaya.
South Korean tourist taken from Bangkok nightlife centre, tortured, murdered and buried in a bin
Two men arrested for the body in barrel murder of a South Korean tourist, final suspect at large in Burma
At the same time, the murder and the gruesome disposal of the victim’s body have gained massive press headlines in South Korea.
Indeed, there are reports of media crews planning to visit Thailand to follow up on the murder. There are still many loose ends. Questions are being asked by the public in the country.
South Korea this year is a Top Five tourist market
For instance, the fact that Mr Roh Eui Jon, who was a regular tourist to Thailand, had a Thai wife. In addition, the fact that the victim’s wife spoke to her husband’s killer after the murder.
In the meantime, police have not yet located 35-year-old Kim Hyeong Won.
At this time, South Korea has emerged as Thailand’s fourth most important tourist market.
Figures released this week by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports from January 1st to May 15th show 731,915 South Koreans entered Thailand.
Significantly, this number was ahead of Indian visitors with 722,195 arrivals from the subcontinent.
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Further reading:
South Korean tourist taken from Bangkok nightlife centre, tortured, murdered and buried in a bin
Fear-mongering, fake news and disinformation being stoked in China against visiting Thailand
Chinese tourists arrested on kidnapping and extortion charges insist they are innocent
