Two Suspects Detained in 'KT Small Payment' Case... "Risk of Flight"

Both Chinese-Korean suspects arrested in connection with the KT small payment case have been detained.

A Chinese national male suspect, Mr. A, involved in the KT unauthorized small payment case, is coming out of the detention center at Suwon Yeongtong Police Station in Gyeonggi Province on the 18th to attend the pre-arrest suspect interrogation (warrant hearing). Photo by Yonhap News

On September 18, Judge Jeong Jinwoo, who is in charge of warrants at the Ansan Branch of the Suwon District Court, held a pre-arrest suspect interrogation (warrant hearing) for Mr. A (48) and Mr. B (44), both Chinese-Korean, who had warrants requested for violating the Information and Communications Network Act and other charges. The judge issued arrest warrants for both. Judge Jeong cited the risk of flight as the reason for the decision.

Mr. A is accused of carrying illegal small base station equipment in his vehicle from late last month to early this month, hacking the mobile phones of KT users in specific areas of the Seoul metropolitan area, and making small payments such as purchasing gift certificates. Mr. B is accused of converting the goods purchased through small payments into cash.

When Mr. A attended the warrant hearing on this day, he responded to reporters' questions about how the crime was committed by saying, "I just did what I was told." When asked who gave him instructions, he replied, "I don't know."

The police investigating the case arrested both suspects on September 16 at Incheon International Airport and in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. During police questioning, Mr. A reportedly stated that he committed the crime under the direction of Mr. C, a superior based in China. The police plan to focus their investigation on identifying the whereabouts of the superior mentioned by the suspects and clarifying the specific methods used in the crime.