BI bars Korean fugitive wanted for telecom fraud

A South Korean national wanted in Seoul for fraud and money laundering linked to a telecommunications-based financial scam was barred from entering the Philippines, the Bureau of Immigration said on Friday.

The fugitive was identified as Hwang Hyeonjun, 26.

He was intercepted on 5 February at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport after his name triggered an alert in the BI’s system, prompting immigration officers to seek verification.

BI Interpol Chief Peter De Guzan confirmed that an active Red Notice was issued by the National Central Bureau Seoul against Hwang. He is wanted for prosecution for fraud and money laundering, with a standing warrant of arrest issued by the Suwon District Court in 2025.

According to official records, Hwang allegedly laundered criminal proceeds as a member of a telecom fraud syndicate. The group reportedly carried out phone-based financial scams by impersonating employees of financial institutions and persuading victims to transfer large sums of money.

In one documented incident, a victim was allegedly defrauded of KRW 10 million through a fake debt consolidation loan scheme. The funds were reportedly collected by accomplices under Hwang’s instructions, converted into cryptocurrency and transferred to digital wallets controlled by the syndicate. Authorities estimate that a total of KRW 32.5 million in criminal proceeds were laundered through similar transactions.

The offense falls under Korea’s Special Act on the Prevention of Loss Caused by Telecommunications-Based Financial Fraud and Refund for Loss, which carries a maximum penalty of up to 30 years’ imprisonment.

Hwang had earlier arrived from Vietnam via a Philippine Airlines flight. He was excluded under the Philippine Immigration Act for being a fugitive from justice and for posing a risk to public interest.

“We will not allow the Philippines to be used as a base, refuge, or transit point for international fraud syndicates. Those who exploit technology to steal from innocent victims abroad will find no safe harbor here,” BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said.

Following the exclusion, Hwang’s name was placed on the BI blacklist, permanently barring his re-entry into the country.