SKorea arrests man over Taw Win fraud

By Kyaw Hsu Mon
July 25 - 31, 2011

A SOUTH Korean man who allegedly absconded with US$50,000 from a Myanmar construction mogul was arrested in Seoul on July 11, the South Korean embassy in Yangon confirmed last week.

Mr Kim Seuk Hum, also known as Mickey Kim, was arrested at Incheon Airport. However, it is not clear whether he will return to Myanmar to face a charge of fraud under section 420 of the Penal Code.

The Myanmar Times reported in March that Mr Kim allegedly promised to bring two South Korean movie stars for a one-day promotional event at Taw Win Centre in February, shortly after the shopping centre opened.

However, Mr Kim allegedly left the country on February 17 after receiving a deposit of $50,000 from U Ko Ko Htwe, the chairman of Taw Win Family Construction.

U Ko Ko Htwe, who filed a complaint with police on March 3, said he wanted Mr Kim to face justice in Myanmar.

“The South Korean embassy informed me on July 13 that [Mr Kim] had been arrested at Incheon Airport in Seoul and he was now in police custody,” he said. “He has only $4500 of the $50,000 I paid him in December. My desire is that [he is] judged here and I’m now investigating international law [to see if that’s possible].”

However, a person close to the South Korean embassy said the prosect of Mr Kim being returned to Myanmar was remote because the two countries have no extradition treaty.

A spokesperson from the embassy would only confirm Mr Kim’s arrest and said it was assisting U Ko Ko Htwe with his complaint. He said the arrest had been made with the assistance of film producer Mr Byun Bong Hyun, who had helped to broker the deal between Mr Kim and U Ko Ko Htwe.

“We are still waiting for more news from [South] Korea. It’s still too early to say what will happen,” the spokesperson said.

Negotiations between U Ko Ko Htwe and Mr Kim began in December, shortly after the South Korean embassy in Yangon brought out two film stars for the South Korean Film Festival. At the time Mr Kim was general manager of The Seoul restaurant in Traders Hotel.

U Ko Ko Htwe later told police he signed an agreement with Mr Kim, 30, on February 2 to bring actor Kim Jun and actress Kim Soe Eun to Myanmar for the opening of Taw Win Centre.

Also present at the initial meeting on December 28 were Mr Byun, who travelled to Myanmar for the film festival, and Mr Dean Hun, who was accompanying Mr Byun and is a “freelance security and driver”, according to his business card. The two men are not thought to have been involved in the alleged theft, according to police.

“The counsellor from the embassy is helping me now. But I want to get [Mr Kim] back here and Mr Byun is also assisting me with that,” U Ko Ko Htwe said.