Yun Mo, who falsely claimed that his wife was a princess of the Thai royal family, showed the photo to the victims. [Image source=Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Bong-ju] A man in his 50s from Korea was arrested in Thailand on charges of swindling a large sum of money from Korean investors by falsely claiming that his wife was a princess of the Thai royal family and that he had connections with high-ranking officials in the Thai military.
According to the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Thailand (Ambassador Lee Wook-heon) on the 30th, Thai police, together with the embassy, apprehended Yoon Mo (55) yesterday on charges of illegal stay and not carrying a passport.
Investigations revealed that Yoon had illegally stayed in Thailand by falsely registering his address with the Thai immigration office and frequently changing his residence and phone number.
He is also accused of deceiving three investors, including a Korean investor A (55), since the end of last year by promising to secure a well-digging project worth approximately 60 billion won in Hat Yai City, Songkhla Province, southern Thailand, and embezzling about 500 million won from them.
The embassy stated that Yoon attracted investors' interest by claiming that he was active as a monk in Thailand and that his wife was a princess of the Thai royal family, giving him close ties with high-ranking military officials.
According to the embassy, during this process, he showed investors photos that appeared to be composites with novice monks in the background and photos taken with his wife, whom he falsely claimed was a royal princess, to deceive them.
One of the victims reportedly said that although they had suspicions midway, they were afraid to report to the police because Yoon was eloquent and claimed his wife was a princess and that he had connections with high-ranking Thai military officials, which gave him influence.
Yoon also introduced his wife to the investors or let them stay at his house to reduce their suspicions.
An embassy official said that Yoon seemed to have targeted investors in Korea for his crimes, exploiting the fact that they were relatively unfamiliar with local Thai conditions compared to local Korean residents. The victims mentioned that there were more people in Korea who intended to invest in this project besides them.
However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, flights were blocked from mid-March, preventing entry into Thailand, and the embassy noted that if these investors had entered, the damage could have been greater.
Screen of a Thai-related community exposing Yoon's fraudulent activities [Image source=Yonhap News]
Additionally, the embassy revealed that posts titled "I was scammed by Korean Yoon 00" had been posted on Thailand-related online communities for several years, and it was confirmed that the two referred to the same person.
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