Former Ssangbangul Chairman Kim Seong-tae, who fled abroad while being investigated by the prosecution for 'suspicion of payment of attorney's fees', was arrested in Thailand around 7:50 pm in our time.
Previously, the prosecution and the police requested Interpol to issue a red notice to former chairman Kim, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs invalidated former chairman Kim's passport.
The Suwon District Prosecutor's Office, which was investigating the suspicion of paying attorney fees by Lee Jae-myeong, the head of the Democratic Party, seized and searched the headquarters of the Ssangbangwool Group on June 22 last year.
However, former Chairman Kim left the country earlier on May 31 of last year, and in the course of the subsequent investigation, it was revealed that an incumbent prosecutor's office leaked investigation secrets to the Ssangbangbang and helped former Chairman Kim escape.
Since then, the prosecution has continued to investigate allegations of corruption related to Ssangbangwool and handed over those involved in Ssangbangwool one after another on charges of stock price manipulation, illegal remittance to North Korea, and bribery to former Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Hwa-young.
It is known that former Chairman Kim has been living an escape life, traveling back and forth between Thailand and Laos.
However, today's arrest in Thailand put an end to Kim's escape.
Prosecutors plan to consult immediately with Thai authorities to extradite former chairman Kim to Korea as soon as possible.