49 South Koreans sent home in mass deportation

MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Immigration on Wednesday, September 3, deported 49 South Korean fugitives in a mass deportation at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3.

The bureau stated that the deported nationals are 43 males and six females, who were designated as fugitives by the South Korean government. The deportees took a chartered flight to Incheon at 11 a.m.

"Most of those deported faced cases of fraud in South Korea," Immigration Commissioner Joel Viado said.

"We are grateful for the strong partnership with the South Korean government to make sure that these criminals are returned to their home country to face justice,” he added.

The bureau’s deportation and implementation unit organized the operation in coordination with the South Korean Embassy, which the bureau said provided logistical support to expedite the process.

In a separate statement, Viado said that more deportations are expected.

"We reiterate that this is more than just deportation—this is about sending a clear message: the Philippines will not be a safe haven for fugitives.  We are committed to upholding justice, side by side with our international partners," Viado said.

High-profile fugitives among deportees. Among the deported individuals were high-profile fugitives, including Choi Hojun, 36, who was arrested by the bureau’s fugitive search unit (FSU) in Angeles City, Pampanga, on April 14.

Choi is wanted in South Korea for allegedly masterminding a messaging phishing syndicate that illegally accessed banking data from around 200 victims, transferring a total of 1.7 billion South Korean won (P70,125,000).

Another deportee, Han Jonghoon, 42, was apprehended by the FSU in Annapolis, San Juan City, on July 4.

He is accused of operating 23 illegal online gambling websites that targeted Koreans and reportedly pocketed more than 2 trillion South Korean won (P 82,500,000,000) in profits.

Also deported were Jung Hoesung, 40, who is wanted for running illegal online platforms and physically assaulting recruits, and Choi Byeongil, 44, who is accused of masterminding a real estate deposit loan scam that embezzled billions of won.