Suspects' Real Names and Faces in the 'Pattaya Murder Case' Revealed by Thai Media

No Decision Yet on Disclosure of Personal Information Domestically

The personal information of three Korean suspects accused of murdering a Korean tourist and disposing of the body in a lake in Pattaya has been released in Thailand.

Local Thai Media Releases Personal Information of 'Pattaya Murder Case' Suspects... "Not Yet in Korea"

On the 15th, Thai media The Nation reported the arrest of suspects in the Pattaya murder case, revealing their names and faces. [Image source=Screenshot from The Nation report]

On the 15th, local Thai media such as The Nation reported that Korean police had arrested one of the three suspects in the murder of a Korean man in Pattaya and disclosed their real names. The suspects are Lee (A, 24), Lee (B, 27), and Kim (29). Among them, A was arrested in Korea on the 12th, and B was apprehended in Cambodia on the 14th. Kim, who has not yet been arrested, is believed to have fled from Thailand to Myanmar. Korean and Thai police are currently tracking Kim.

Local media also released passport photos of two suspects. Additionally, their images captured on local store or street CCTV were broadcast without mosaics. Furthermore, photos presumed to have been taken inside a police vehicle immediately after Cambodian police arrested B were also reported.

On the 14th, the Bangkok Post in Thailand reported without mosaic censorship the image of one of the suspects in the Pattaya murder case purchasing a drum barrel. [Image source=Bangkok Post capture]

However, in Korea, the decision to disclose their personal information has not yet been made. Under current Korean law, the personal information of suspects in violent crimes such as murder, attempted murder, and sexual violence can be disclosed if the crime is brutal and the damage is severe, if there is sufficient evidence to believe the crime was committed, or if it is necessary for the public interest such as guaranteeing the public's right to know. The police hold a Suspect Personal Information Disclosure Committee to decide on this matter.

"There was a threatening phone call demanding money" - Based on testimony, the crime is presumed to be related to drugs, illegal gambling, etc.

One of the suspects in the murder case of a Korean in Pattaya, Thailand, who was the first to be apprehended, is heading to the courtroom at Changwon District Court in Gyeongnam for a warrant hearing.

Meanwhile, the victim, Mr. C (34), entered Thailand as a tourist on the 30th of last month and went missing. On the 7th of this month, Mr. C's mother reported that an unidentified man made a threatening phone call saying, "Your son caused harm by throwing illegal drugs into the water," and "If you do not bring 3 million baht (about 112 million KRW) by the next morning, your son will be killed."

The embassy and local police cooperated in the investigation, and on the night of the 11th, they found Mr. C's mutilated body inside a black drum filled with cement in a reservoir in Pattaya. The Southern Bangkok Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for the three suspects on charges of murder, illegal detention, and concealment of a corpse. Thai police also announced plans to request extradition of the arrested suspects.

The detained suspect Lee (A) appeared at the suspect interrogation (warrant hearing) before detention and denied the charges, saying, "I didn't know anything. I didn't kill him." It is reported that he claims he was at the scene with accomplices but did not directly participate in the murder.