Chills from First Encounter in 7 Years: Smuggler Stared Back at Investigators Before Arrest

In a residential alley in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, prosecution investigators keep watch. Moments later, a man stares intently at the spot the investigators just passed. As soon as the man disappears from view, the investigators sprint forward. This was the moment the seven-year flight of Mr. A, a man in his 50s who vanished after failing to pay over 650 billion won in fines, came to an end. Here is the behind-the-scenes story of this breathless manhunt.

1. Record-High Fine and a Subsequent Twist
Mr. A was the chief transport organizer for an international gold smuggling ring. Between 2015 and 2016, he traveled between South Korea, Japan, and Hong Kong over 200 times, smuggling more than 40,000 one-kilogram gold bars. The group was found to have pocketed approximately 40 billion won in market profits. In 2019, a trial court sentenced Mr. A to two years and six months in prison along with an astronomical fine of over 1.3 trillion won. The staggering amount was calculated based on the raw cost value of the gold bars. At the time, it drew widespread attention as the largest fine ever handed down in a single case.

[Cho Jang-hyun / Spokesperson Judge at Busan District Court at the time (SBS '8 News', January 15, 2019): "The nature of the crime is grave because they actively carried out their offenses over an extended period by luring ordinary citizens with offers such as free trips to Japan..."]

This was what had been known to the public. But then came a twist. Six months after the first-instance verdict, an appellate court substantially reduced the sentence, and Mr. A was released. While acknowledging that "the gravity of the offense is heavy," the appellate court questioned whether "an astronomical fine is consistent with the public's sense of justice when considering the circumstances of their involvement and the criminal profits gained." It sentenced Mr. A to one year and four months in prison and a fine of 662.3 billion won. Although the fine was nearly halved, it was still among the highest in history. Mr. A chose to flee. Disappearing immediately after his release, Mr. A began living as a fugitive without paying a single won.

2. Vanished Like a Ghost
Did law enforcement sit idly by while he disappeared without paying his fine? In January 2020, after Mr. A's sentence was finalized, the prosecution recalculated the final fine imposed on him at 653.7 billion won. Once the payment deadline passed, authorities placed him on a wanted list, issued an overseas travel ban, and hurriedly went after him. However, according to the prosecution, not a single trace could be found.

[Yeom Cheol-jin / Enforcement Division, Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office: "Mr. A left virtually no clues, and there were no telecommunications traces at all. It was fair to call him a ghost."]

Investigators on the ground note that tracking fine defaulters occurs at the sentence execution stage after convictions are finalized. Consequently, it is difficult to utilize the various tools and investigative techniques permitted during criminal investigations, making real-time location tracking and other efforts extremely challenging.

[Yeom Cheol-jin / Enforcement Division, Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office: "At the sentence execution stage, warrants (such as search, seizure, or financial account warrants) are not permitted. If someone intentionally hides their mobile phone, there is very little information that can be obtained even through a telecommunications warrant. In the end, investigators have no choice but to pound the pavement day and night..."]

As case officers changed several times, time simply ticked away.

3. Caught After a Desperate Pursuit, Only to Say: "I Cannot Pay, I Will Do Hard Labor"
The momentum shifted around July. As discussions on revising the Criminal Procedure Act, including the abolition of investigative powers, gained rapid traction, investigators launched a comprehensive review of Mr. A's file under the goal of first capturing the largest defaulter while the prosecution organization was still intact.

[Kim Hak-rok / Enforcement Division, Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office: "(In the draft amendment to the Criminal Procedure Act), prosecution investigators would no longer be able to handle sentence enforcement duties. We had to resolve long-unsolved cases, including Mr. A, by October..."]

The prosecution turned its attention to acquaintances of Mr. A, who had vanished like a ghost. Suspecting that Mr. A, who was hiding deliberately, must have had helpers, they eventually found a clue after many twists and turns: Mr. A's acquaintances were visiting the jewelry district in Jongno, Seoul, unusually often.

[Yeom Cheol-jin / Enforcement Division, Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office: "We narrowed down potential accomplices, and (we concluded) it was suspicious if people unrelated to gold smuggling were frequently visiting the jewelry street in Jongno-gu."]

Following exhaustive stakeouts and inquiries, investigators came face-to-face with Mr. A at a cafe in Jongno where acquaintances had gathered.

[Kim Hak-rok / Enforcement Division, Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office: "I recognized him immediately, that it was Mr. A. I honestly got chills. He had not shown himself to us even once in seven years, and seeing him in the flesh for the first time..."]

Reverse tracking began. After boarding public transportation,

[Is he making a phone call?]

Mr. A's hideout in Yeongdeungpo-gu was finally identified. The apprehension operation began on August 21. An investigator cautiously approached the hideout before quickly backing away, and soon after, a man appeared. It was Mr. A.

[Kim Hak-rok / Enforcement Division, Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office: "I went closer to listen for signs of presence, but the entrance sensor light turned on and the phone conversation abruptly stopped. Thinking he might notice, I hurried out to the alley."]

Mr. A stared intently at the investigators. The moment he turned his back and disappeared, the investigators broke into a full sprint.

[Kim Hak-rok / Enforcement Division, Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office: "I could strongly feel his gaze from afar. Just as he tried to close and lock the door, we pulled it open..."]

With handcuffs on, his seven-year run came to an end.

[Mr. A (At the time of arrest on August 21): "(You know, the fine amount is substantial and there's the gold bar issue.) Yes. (We've been dealing with you for a long time.) Yes."]

Unsurprisingly, it was revealed that Mr. A had evaded tracking by rotating multiple mobile phones, including unactivated spare devices, and using Telegram registered under a foreigner's name.

[Yeom Cheol-jin / Enforcement Division, Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office: "He had three mobile phones, using each for different purposes, and was accessing Telegram borrowed under a Japanese national's name..."]

Mr. A reportedly looked hardly like a fugitive. CCTV footage showed him casually chatting with a serene expression and greeting neighbors naturally.

[Resident: "He was on the phone constantly, and there was talk about money too."]

[Kim Hak-rok / Enforcement Division, Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office: "What was truly unexpected was that he was not wearing a mask at all. We thought he would at least cover himself, but he walked the streets openly without doing anything of the sort..."]

Immediately after his arrest, Mr. A readily admitted that he had been hiding intentionally. Even so, he reportedly kept asking one question.

[Kim Hak-rok / Enforcement Division, Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office: "He kept asking all the way to the prosecutor's office, 'I understood that the statute of limitations on the fine had expired, so is it legal to enforce it like this?' It was confirmed that he was simply waiting for the statute of limitations to run out."]

He claimed that the standard five-year statute of limitations for fine defaulters had expired, but the prosecution had already extended it until January 2029. Upon learning this, he dug in his heels, claiming he had no assets to pay.

[Kim Hak-rok / Enforcement Division, Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office: "He said all his assets had been confiscated, that he had nothing left, could not pay the fine, and would just do hard labor..."]

Mr. A ended up behind bars once again. And here lies another problem.

4. Captured with Great Effort, Only for 'Emperor's Labor'?
Defaulters who refuse to pay fines must perform forced labor at a correctional workhouse for a period determined by the court. The problem is that under current law, the maximum detention period in a workhouse is capped at three years regardless of the fine amount. Mr. A's unpaid fine is 653.7 billion won. After factoring in various calculations, Mr. A's workhouse detention period comes to about two years and eight months. If he endures that period, the entire 653.7 billion won will be wiped clean. That equates to a daily wage of around 660 million won. This is why critics point out that even after strenuous efforts to catch such fugitives, they can simply settle it with "emperor's labor."

[Kim Hak-rok / Enforcement Division, Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office: "It felt somewhat demoralizing. It effectively means having 20 billion won in fines forgiven each month. As far as I know, the workhouse detention system was originally intended for vulnerable social groups who cannot afford fines. I do not think it should be abused as a means to wipe out massive fines."]

As of July 2026, unpaid fines nationwide identified by the prosecution approached 5.5 trillion won. Mr. A alone accounts for about 10 percent of that total. In other words, 90 percent of the fines to be collected still remain. Tracking and recovering these fines is expected to be a major task for the prosecution, which has handled sentence enforcement, as well as the soon-to-be-established Prosecution Agency. Of course, the reality makes optimism difficult.

[Yeom Cheol-jin / Enforcement Division, Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office: "In 2026, the total number of unpaid fine cases at the Western District Prosecutors' Office is 1,600. There are only two dedicated investigators handling them. It is impossible to resolve them all."]

[Kim Hak-rok / Enforcement Division, Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office: "When we go to arrest scenes, all sorts of things happen and there are many dangerous situations. Increasing personnel and expanding investigative equipment are absolutely necessary."]

The Supreme Prosecutors' Office told SBS that it is working to increase sentence execution staff, strengthen capabilities through expanded training, and establish systems for tracing assets.

5. After the SBS Report?
Following the broadcast, some reactions commented that it looked like a promotional video for the prosecution. However, it is rare for active prosecution investigators to participate in media interviews while fully disclosing their faces and real names. Given the unfavorable public sentiment toward the prosecution organization, I also wondered why they decided to step forward. Through reporting, I could somewhat understand why. Even if the prosecution service takes down its nameplate and disappears, the work they have done and the work that must be done do not vanish. Someone must continue tracking fine defaulters and executing sentences. For civil servants who have been carrying out this work in harsh field conditions purely through physical grit, I felt there was a desire to open a path for change and improvement before it is too late, regardless of what the agency is named, when an opportunity arises.

[Yeom Cheol-jin / Enforcement Division, Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office: "Even if a sentence is handed down, it means nothing if it is not enforced. Doing our best to ensure law enforcement is fair for everyone—I hope the public will take an interest in this work as well..."]

[Kim Hak-rok / Enforcement Division, Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office: "It may look like merely apprehending one person, but in reality, it is about protecting public trust that the law must be properly enforced. Going forward, with principles and responsibility..."]

The prosecution emphasized that even after restructuring into the Prosecution Agency, it will do its utmost to realize national justice through strict sentence enforcement. One cannot help but reflect whether right now is the golden time to reform the institutional framework, so that those who scoff at national justice, hide, and stubbornly refuse to pay even when caught can be held accountable to the very end.

Reported by An Huijae | Story produced by Shin Hee-sook | Filmed by Kim Se-gyeong, Kim Seung-tae, and Lee Chan-soo | Video editing by Hong Jin-young | Graphics by Yang Hye-min | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.