October 6, 2025
SEOUL – More than 1 in 5 criminal suspects who fled South Korea during prosecutorial investigations in the past five years escaped to China, having overtaken the United States as the most common destination for fugitives in 2022, data shows.
According to figures obtained by People Power Party Rep. Park Jun-tae from the Ministry of Justice and released Friday, 1,559 suspects had their indictments suspended between 2021 and mid-2025 after fleeing abroad.
China accounted for 20.9 percent of those cases, followed by the United States at 14 percent, Vietnam at 8.6 percent, the Philippines at 8.2 percent, and Thailand at 6.3 percent. The US was the leading destination in 2021, China surpassed it in 2022 and has remained the No. 1 destination since.
The proportion of fugitives heading to China rose steadily, from 17.5 percent in 2021 to 23.7 percent in just the first half of 2025. Southeast Asian countries combined also saw sharp growth, with the share of fugitives traveling to the region nearly doubling from 14.9 percent to 28.3 percent over the same period.
Fraud was the most common offense among fugitives, accounting for 28.7 percent of cases, followed by narcotics violations at 13.5 percent.
A Justice Ministry official said destination choices often reflect a combination of factors.
“When fugitive suspects decide where to go, they consider many elements, such as the host country’s law enforcement capacity, cost of living, and international cooperation with Korea,” the official said. “We are actively responding by establishing cooperative networks with Southeast Asian countries.”
South Korea currently has extradition treaties with 78 nations, including all five of the top destinations for fugitives.
seungku99@heraldcorp.com