Aguirre insists: Korean mafia behind Jee slay

MANILA, Philippines - Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II remains convinced that the Korean mafia is involved in the kidnap and murder of businessman Jee Ick-Joo even if investigators have not identified any mafia member.

Aguirre admitted that Department of Justice investigators have not found evidence of the Korean mafia’s involvement in the death of Jee, who was taken from his house in Angeles City, Pampanga on Oct. 18, 2016 and reportedly strangled to death by a police officer at Camp Crame.

“While no member of the Korean mafia has been found involved in the Jee Ick-Joo case, we have several reports that there is really a Korean mafia group operating in the country. We were able to establish this,” he said last week.

“As a matter of fact, one of their top members, we were able to arrest him and he is now being processed for deportation proceedings,” said Aguirre, referring to South Korean businessman Kang Tae Sik, who is being held at the Bureau of Immigration detention facility after being arrested at his Makati City office on March 23.

Last February, Aguirre said some Korean officials and Jee’s widow, Choi Kyungjin, rejected the angle that the Korean mafia was involved in Jee’s murder.

“I am not an investigator but I think all theories of the case should be explored and the investigation should continue until such time that the investigator has determined that this theory is unfounded, before you could go to other theories,” Aguirre said.