MANILA -- Two South Koreans wanted for fraud in their homeland were nabbed by the Bureau of Immigration on separate operations in Manila and Cebu last January 7 and 8, 2025.

The BI said Choi Wonchul and Lee Jihwan are set to be deported to face prosecution in South Korea.

Both Choi and Lee are the subject of a red notice from the International Criminal Police Organization, according to the BI.

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"We will expel and ban them from re-entering the country for being undesirable aliens.  The Philippines is not a sanctuary for wanted criminals," BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said in a statement.

The BI said Choi is the subject of an arrest warrant from a court in Seoul where he was charged with embezzlement and fraud. 

Choi supposedly worked as a car dealer in 2008 and pocketed approximately US$65,000 of the payments made to him by customers. 

Meanwhile, Lee is the subject of a warrant of arrest from a court in Changwon District for beating and robbing a compatriot.

The BI noted that Lee and his accomplice allegedly attacked and forced his victim to transfer 10 million won or roughly US$6,800 into his bank account, while the latter was restrained with duct tape. 

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