Hwang Hana ― the granddaughter of a major food company founder, Park Yu-chun's ex-girlfriend and a figure long entangled in drug scandals ― was taken into custody in South Korea roughly a year after fleeing an active methamphetamine investigation and being placed on an Interpol Red Notice.
According to local reports, Hwang arrived in Korea at 7:50 a.m. KST on Tuesday on a flight from Cambodia. Police say they executed an arrest warrant around 2 a.m. at Phnom Penh’s Techo International Airport before arranging her return.
The Gwacheon Police Station in Gyeonggi Province plans to question Hwang over allegations she purchased and used methamphetamine, as it works to piece together the full timeline of the case.
Authorities previously conducted a preliminary drug test on Hwang in February last year and said they uncovered additional suspected offenses during that process. She left for Thailand in mid-February and did not return, prompting investigators to request an Interpol Red Notice and coordinate consular support through the Foreign Ministry.
While abroad, Hwang initially stayed in Thailand before relocating to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, according to people familiar with the matter. She reportedly socialized with Korean and Chinese acquaintances; at one point, unverified rumors circulated that she was pregnant. She also allegedly contacted female acquaintances in Korea, urging them to join her for “travel and rest” in Thailand and Cambodia.
Hwang has a history of drug-related convictions. In 2019, she received a one-year prison sentence suspended for two years for meth use. While on probation, she was indicted again on drug use and theft charges; in 2022, the Supreme Court finalized a sentence of one year and eight months in prison.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)
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