A 40-year-old Chinese national, the suspected leader of a hacking ring, was extradited to South Korea from Thailand on Wednesday, accused of stealing more than 38 billion won from victims' bank and cryptocurrency accounts.
The ringleader's accomplice is escorted by police through Incheon Airport in August 2025, after being extradited from Thailand and charged with stealing Korean victims' personal information to withdraw large sums of money from their accounts.
- Ministry of Justice SEOUL: A suspected leader of a hacking ring accused of stealing more than 38 billion won (US$25 million) from victims' bank and cryptocurrency accounts was extradited to South Korea from Bangkok on Wednesday (May 13), the Justice Ministry said. The 40-year-old Chinese national is accused of forming a criminal ring in Thailand and hacking into multiple websites, including those of budget mobile carriers, between August 2023 and April 2025 to obtain the personal information of potential victims.
He and his group allegedly used the information to withdraw large sums from South Korean bank accounts and break into cryptocurrency accounts. Confirmed victims include the chairman of a major conglomerate, the head of a venture company and BTS member Jungkook. The Justice Ministry requested his provisional arrest for extradition in May 2025, a treaty-based procedure used to secure a suspect's custody before a formal extradition request is filed.
In August 2025, the ministry formally requested his extradition from Thai authorities. He was ultimately sent to South Korea following extradition proceedings in Thailand and approval from Thai authorities.
“To ensure swift extradition of the suspect, we dispatched prosecutors and investigators in July last year to meet with officials from Thailand's Office of the Attorney General and police authorities,” the ministry said. The ministry said it also coordinated with the National Police Agency, as South Korea's central authority for international criminal cooperation, to carry out a joint Interpol operation.
“Through the operation, another accomplice, a Chinese national in his 30s, was arrested, and the suspect was also secured at the scene,” the ministry said. The accomplice was extradited to South Korea from Thailand in August. He was arrested and indicted in September and is currently standing trial.
“We will continue to work closely with relevant agencies, including the National Police Agency and the Foreign Ministry, to track down and sternly respond to transnational crimes that threaten public safety, including hacking and online fraud,” a Justice Ministry official said. - The Korea Herald/ANNPhilippine senator vows to fight International Criminal Court order to arrest him over killings Beware of scammers posing as officials offering advice on Singtel discounted shares: Singapore's CPF BoardAI rivalry overshadows push for guardrails at Xi-Trump talks
Hacking Online Fraud International Criminal Cooperation Extradition Joint Interpol Operation
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
South Korea's Kospi falls sharply on profit-taking near 8,000 levelFrom DATUK SRI DR WEE JECK SENG MCA Vice President, Member of Parliament for Tanjung Piai
Read more »
South Korea to participate in defence ministers' meeting on Hormuz after ship blastFrom DATUK SRI DR WEE JECK SENG MCA Vice President, Member of Parliament for Tanjung Piai
Read more »
South Korea floats AI profit social tax as tech giants boomA government official has proposed an artificial intelligence profits tax to be redistributed among society as a semiconductor boom drives massive earnings for tech giants.
Read more »
Missing 11-year-old boy found dead in South Korea, likely fell from mountainAn 11-year-old boy who went missing in South Korea on Sunday was found dead near the peak of Juwangsan National Park on Tuesday, likely after falling.
Read more »