Grandson of Jeon Du-hwan Arrested After Drug Use... Will Trip to Gwangju Be Thwarted?

Jeon Du-hwan's Grandson Hospitalized After Drug Use Live
"Arrest Warrant May Be Requested Due to Seriousness of Crime"

The late former President Jeon Du-hwan's grandson, Jeon Woo-won, was arrested by the police immediately upon his return to Korea. Earlier, Jeon had been hospitalized after consuming a large amount of drugs, but after recently recovering his health, he expressed his intention to return to Korea and announced plans to visit Gwangju to apologize to the victims of the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement. However, his arrest on drug charges has disrupted his plans to visit Gwangju.

Jeon Woo-won, the grandson of former President Jeon Du-hwan, who has made revealing statements about the Jeon family, is leaving the arrival hall after being arrested on drug use charges by the Drug Crime Investigation Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency at Incheon International Airport on the 28th. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

On the 28th, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Narcotics Crime Investigation Unit secured Jeon's custody and was transporting him after he arrived at Incheon International Airport at 6 a.m. the same day. The police, having obtained an arrest warrant and a body search warrant from the court the previous day, plan to test Jeon for drug use and investigate the truthfulness of his statements claiming that he and his acquaintances used drugs.

Regarding the procedures following the arrest, Seung Jae-hyun, a senior research fellow at the Korea Institute of Criminal Justice Policy, said on KBS Radio's 'Choi Kyung-young's Strong Current Affairs' on the 28th, "From the situation, he showed drug use during his YouTube broadcast and was hospitalized," adding, "(Drug use) can be confirmed through hospital records, and related documents would have been transferred to the Korean National Police Agency."

He continued, "Objective evidence sufficient to start an investigation has been found," and said, "An arrest warrant and a body search warrant have been issued, which will include verification of the body." Seung explained, "They will conduct two types of tests: a simple reagent test and hair sampling," adding, "The samples collected will be sent to the National Forensic Service to investigate what kind of drugs were used, when, where, and how."

Jeon Woo-won, the grandson who has made revealing statements about the family of former President Jeon Du-hwan, is leaving the arrival hall after being arrested on drug use charges by the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Narcotics Crime Investigation Unit at Incheon International Airport on the 28th. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

Seung said, "The arrest warrant is valid for 48 hours, and if a detention warrant is not requested within this period, the suspect must be released," adding, "The police will promptly and accurately consider whether to request a detention warrant for Jeon Woo-won."

Regarding Jeon's confession and drug use, he said, "Jeon Woo-won leaving such a bad precedent by using drugs on a live broadcast watched by many people to prove his own crime is an abnormal behavior," and pointed out, "According to Article 70, Paragraph 2 of the Criminal Procedure Act, reasons for detention include the risk of reoffending, concern for harm to victims, and the seriousness of the crime, which can apply here. If he did it where people could see, there is also the possibility he did it where no one could see."

He added, "The police will investigate this part and apply for a warrant to the prosecutor, who will decide and request a warrant from the court," and said, "The court will conduct a substantive warrant review to determine whether there are valid reasons for detention and decide on detention."

Despite Drug Use on Live Broadcast... Consistent Apology Message: "I am a Sinner"

Earlier, on the 17th, Jeon caused controversy by publicly showing what appeared to be heavy drug use during a YouTube live broadcast, which could be seen as eccentric behavior. After the drug use live broadcast, revelations of corruption involving the Jeon Du-hwan family and acquaintances were also halted, raising suspicions about his true intentions.

Jeon Woo-won, the grandson of former President Jeon Du-hwan, who has made revealing statements about the Jeon family, is leaving the arrival hall after being arrested on drug use charges by the Drug Crime Investigation Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency at Incheon International Airport on the 28th. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

However, his apology messages remained consistent. On the 13th, when he first started revealing information on his social media, he said, "I will accept my sins willingly," and repeatedly emphasized through numerous media interviews and live broadcasts that he is a sinner and must face the judgment of the law.

Even after being arrested by the police at Incheon International Airport, he said, "I am grateful to the people for giving a sinner like me the opportunity to come to Korea and apologize, and I am sorry for causing inconvenience," adding, "I will cooperate fully with the investigation and want to apologize to the bereaved families and victims of the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement."

However, Jeon has expressed his intention to stop exposing corruption. He deleted all the posts he had posted on social media. On the afternoon of the 24th, during an Instagram live broadcast, he shared an update that he had recovered his health a week after collapsing from drug use, saying, "No matter how much I expose and struggle, the people I exposed are in the top 1% worldwide. What difference would it make if I reported them?" and added, "Therefore, I will not expose any more. A sinner like me has no right to expose."