Police in Vinh Phuc province have apprehended Kim JiWon, a 32-year-old South Korean national, who was residing illegally in Vietnam despite being the subject of an Interpol Red Notice for transnational gambling crimes.

On May 3, the Vinh Phuc Provincial Police reported that during a routine inspection of foreign residents at the Lafortuna apartment complex in Vinh Yen City in April, officers discovered a South Korean citizen who had failed to declare temporary residency and lacked valid work documentation - indicating illegal stay.

The Immigration Management Department promptly launched an investigation, verifying the individual’s identity through international databases.

Authorities confirmed the individual to be Kim JiWon, who had received a 10-month suspended sentence in 2019 from a South Korean court for organizing cross-border gambling operations.

Interpol later issued a Red Notice for Kim on charges of operating illegal online betting platforms.

Kim JiWon graduated in robotic programming from Bucheon University and initially worked in South Korea’s tech sector. He later relocated to Cambodia, where he became involved in promoting online gambling.

In February 2024, Kim entered Vietnam under a work sponsorship by Plan In Vietnam Co., Ltd. However, he left the company in September 2024 without notifying immigration authorities and continued using a temporary residence card to stay in the country illegally. He also moved frequently across various provinces and cities to avoid detection.

During questioning, Kim JiWon admitted to all immigration, residency, and operational violations committed while in Vietnam.

Vinh Phuc Police have issued an administrative fine of 17.5 million VND (approx. 700 USD) and imposed the additional penalty of deportation. Kim has since been transferred to Detention Facility No. 1 under the Ministry of Public Security, where authorities are completing legal procedures in accordance with international and domestic law.

Duc Hoang