Rise of a drug kingpin behind bars
Park Wang-yeol left South Korea a failed businessperson and a man accused of fraud.
When he was repatriated to South Korea in March 2026, several police officers escorted him through the airport as journalists crowded around him, with his return making headlines across the country.
Between those two moments lies a story of triple murder, two prison escapes and an international drug ring that began behind the walls of a Philippine prison.
Related article: https://www.koreaherald.com/article/10887548
Credits
Reporting & writing: Park Jun-hee
Editing: Lee Sun-young, Devin Whiting
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