Rumors Abound of Involvement in Crime Syndicates and Voice Phishing
Police Avoid Comment, Saying "Under Investigation"
Kim Mo (33), the driver involved in the 'Maserati drunk hit-and-run fatal accident' in Gwangju, was apprehended on the 26th, 67 hours after fleeing the scene. However, suspicious behaviors of the suspects have surfaced, increasing doubts about the related parties.
On the 28th, Yonhap News, citing the Gwangju Western Police Station and others, reported that the investigation revealed only that Kim, the Maserati driver, mainly resides in Thailand, but the reasons for his visit to Gwangju, his occupation, and his domestic address remain unclear. Kim was arrested on charges of hit-and-run causing death under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes.
Maserati driver Kim, accused of fleeing the scene after a hit-and-run fatal accident (violation of the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes for fleeing causing death or injury), is being escorted to the detention center at Gwangju Seobu Police Station on the morning of the 27th. [Photo by Yonhap News]
It was confirmed through immigration records that Kim stayed in Thailand for several months, but the reason for his residence there has not been disclosed. He reportedly claimed to be unemployed during police questioning. The police are withholding details about what Kim did in Thailand and why he suddenly entered the country after a long stay, stating, "The investigation is ongoing." In particular, since Kim's occupation is not clearly identified, suspicions have arisen that he might be involved in a voice phishing organization.
There are several suspicious points regarding the accident circumstances, the vehicle, and the escape process.
Kim entered Korea in mid-month and met with peers he had known since his twenties in the Seoul metropolitan area and elsewhere. On the 23rd, the day before the accident, he came to his hometown Gwangju and caused the accident. Upon arriving in Gwangju, he immediately borrowed a Maserati from his friend Choi Mo and drove it under the influence of alcohol, causing the accident. The vehicle belongs to a corporation in Seoul, but the corporation only told the police that it was a "vehicle not returned." It is also unclear how this vehicle came to be in Gwangju.
On the afternoon of the 25th, officials from the National Forensic Service conducted a detailed examination of the Maserati involved in the 'drunk hit-and-run fatal accident' at the Gwangju Seobu Police Station. [Photo by Yonhap News]
Kim's domestic address is also questionable. His resident registration certificate lists an address at an administrative welfare center in Buk-gu, Gwangju, which is a false registration. Additionally, Kim's actions after abandoning the Maserati and fleeing are suspicious in multiple ways. On the morning of the 24th, Kim drove the Maserati under the influence on a four-lane road in Hwajeong-dong, Seo-gu, Gwangju, and collided with a delivery motorcycle on its way home from work early in the morning. CCTV footage from nearby roads captured Kim engaging in a high-speed chase in the city with his group member driving a Mercedes-Benz just before the accident. Before reaching the accident site, Kim and the Mercedes-Benz violated traffic signals together. The Mercedes-Benz narrowly passed the motorcycle carrying the victims, but the Maserati chasing the Mercedes-Benz did not slow down and hit the rear seat of the motorcycle. As a result, among the two 20-something motorcycle riders who were in a romantic relationship, the female passenger died, and the male was seriously injured.
After the accident, Kim switched to the Mercedes-Benz of his group and fled directly to Daejeon. To evade police pursuit, he turned off his mobile phone and booked an overseas flight using an accomplice's phone. However, when reports emerged that the hit-and-run suspect was being tracked and a travel ban was imposed, Kim abandoned his plan to flee abroad and used a burner phone provided by another accomplice to hide in Seoul. The Gwangju Police deployed about 30 officers from the Criminal Mobile Unit to track him, and with additional police conducting a dragnet search, Kim was eventually caught near a subway station in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, 67 hours after fleeing. During police interrogation, he reportedly stated, "I was aware that I caused a traffic accident, but I was drunk and ran away because I was scared of the police sirens."
Rumors circulated that Kim might have a background in organized crime due to his meticulous escape tactics, including using burner phones. However, the police denied this, stating, "He is not a gangster," because neither Kim nor his accomplices are on the management list. The police have applied for arrest warrants for Kim and his accomplices and plan to expand the investigation into the accident circumstances, Kim's identity, and his relationship with the accomplices.
A police official told Yonhap News, "Although this case has attracted significant public interest, the priority now is to accurately ascertain the circumstances of the hit-and-run accident and handle Kim's custody," adding, "We will also strive to clarify various suspicions."
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