Police capture fugitive 3 days after escape

Social Affairs

Published: 07 Nov. 2023, 11:58 Updated: 07 Nov. 2023, 21:03

Police capture fugitive 3 days after escape

Kim Gil-soo, center, a fugitive who was captured late Monday, is being transported into the Anyang Dongan Police Station in Gyeonggi. [YONHAP]

Kim Gil-soo, a fugitive on the run since Saturday, was captured by police and transferred to a detention center early Tuesday.

It was about 70 hours since Kim escaped from Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital in Anyang, Gyeonggi, on Saturday, where he was waiting to be treated for abdominal pain.

He had swallowed a plastic spoon while detained at a Seocho police station in southern Seoul and had been receiving treatment.

Gyeonggi's Anyang Dongan Police Precinct arrested Kim at Gajeong-dong in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi, at 9:26 p.m. Monday.

After police conducted a brief investigation on him on details of his escape at around midnight after his capture, they handed him over to the Seoul Detention Center around 4 a.m. Tuesday. This was in accordance with the Act on Execution of the Sentence and Treatment of Prisoners and to avoid a double arrest situation.

Kim is said to have made a call to an acquaintance from a public phone, a decisive factor leading to his arrest.

Kim, 36, was arrested last week on allegations of special robbery, which carries a much more severe penalty than just robbery. Offenders face a maximum of six years in prison instead of four.

Since his escape, police mobilized all available personnel and resources to track him down, offering a reward of up to 10 million won ($7,650) for information that could lead to his capture.

Kim, who is 175 centimeters (5 feet 9 inches) tall and weighs 83 kilograms (182 pounds), changed outfits several times along with his hairstyle during his escape.

Police said they didn't know about his whereabouts until his arrest.

He was wearing the same black jumper he was wearing when he was last captured on CCTV footage.

Kim had last been spotted at the Express Bus Terminal in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, around 9:40 p.m. on Saturday, the day of his escape.

Police noted it is rare that a runaway inmate is arrested within 72 hours.

According to the law, the Seoul Detention Center can immediately take over Kim's custody because less than 72 hours have passed since he fled.

Kim was accused of stealing 740 million won after pepper spraying a man in his 30s on Sept. 11. The two met after Kim promised through social media to exchange currency at a cheaper rate than banks.

Kim also has prior convictions, having served six years for special robbery and sexual assault.

BY SARAH KIM [kim.sarah@joongang.co.kr]