Arrest Warrant Issued for Hwang Hana, Namyang Dairy Heiress, on Drug Charges

Hwang Hana, the granddaughter of the founder of Namyang Dairy Products, who fled overseas while under investigation for drug charges and was subsequently arrested, has been taken into custody.

On the 26th, Seo Hyojin, the presiding judge in charge of warrants at the Anyang branch of the Suwon District Court, issued an arrest warrant for Hwang, who is accused of violating the Narcotics Control Act.

Hwang Hana, the granddaughter of the founder of Namyang Dairy Products, who fled abroad while under investigation for drug charges and was arrested, is attending a pretrial detention hearing held on the 26th at the Anyang branch of the Suwon District Court in Anyang, Gyeonggi Province. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

Judge Seo held a pretrial detention hearing earlier that day and stated, "There is a risk of evidence destruction."

The court did not provide further details regarding the grounds for issuing the warrant. However, both inside and outside investigative circles, the decision is analyzed as being based on Hwang's prior criminal record for similar offenses and her two-year period of evading authorities overseas.

Hwang is suspected of administering methamphetamine by injection to two acquaintances in Gangnam, Seoul, in July 2023. While she was under police investigation, she fled to Thailand in December of the same year. It is reported that she then illegally entered Cambodia and remained there after her passport was invalidated.

After Hwang's side expressed an intention to voluntarily appear before the police, officers traveled to Cambodia and arrested her on the 24th aboard a Korean national airline at Phnom Penh Techo International Airport.

It has been reported that Hwang denied the charges during police questioning.

With the arrest warrant now issued, the police plan to conduct a thorough investigation into how Hwang obtained methamphetamine and the circumstances of its use. They also intend to closely examine whether she committed other drug-related offenses in Korea or engaged in any illegal activities overseas.

A police official stated, "It appears we will use the full 10-day detention period permitted at the police stage," adding, "We plan to refer the case to the prosecution early next year."