China most popular hideout for S. Korean fugitives

SEOUL, Sept. 21 (Yonhap) -- China was the most favored hideout for South Korean criminal suspects seeking to avoid police over the past five years, government data showed Wednesday.
Of the total 528 overseas fugitives pursued through a joint investigation between South Korean police and Interpol from January 2007 to August this year, 146 people, or 27.6 percent, were hiding in China, according to the data compiled by the National Police Agency and submitted to parliament for a regular audit.
Other destinations favored by those suspects included the Philippines with 85 people, the U.S. with 71, Thailand with 51, and Hong Kong with 38, the data showed.
More than half of the fugitives were charged with economic crimes such as scams and embezzlement, while those suspected of drug offenses and robbery accounted for around 7 percent each, according to the data.
"The police need to pour more efforts into bringing those on the loose to justice in close cooperation with Interpol and agencies in the countries concerned," said Rep. Choi Kyoo-sik of the main opposition Democratic Party who requested the data. "More fundamental measures are also required to prevent suspects from flying overseas in the first place."
While 829 suspects have gone to foreign countries to escape police investigations during the cited period, 285 of them were brought home and 16 others had their charges dismissed, the data showed.
graceoh@yna.co.kr
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