CRIME SCENE. Personnel of the General Santos City Police Office examine the remains of foreign national Hyun Seong-hong, who was found dead inside a vehicle in Barangay Baluan Monday morning (April 19, 2021). The victim, who was arrested in an anti-drug operation in 2016, is of Korean descent, but investigators are verifying reports that he holds an American passport. (PNA photo by Richelyn Gubalani)
GENERAL SANTOS CITY – A foreign national arrested in an anti-drug operation five years ago was found dead inside a vehicle in a farming village here Monday morning.
Lt. Rodel Ventura, deputy chief of city police station 3, identified the victim as businessman Hyun Seong-hong, reportedly of Korean descent and had long been residing in this city.
Hyun was found dead by residents around 7:20 inside a white Suzuki sedan with license plate NAO 1882 parked at a portion of Purok Masagana in Barangay Baluan.
The site, which is beside a grassy field planted with coconuts, is about a kilometer away from the main highway and 30 meters from the boundary of Barangay Lagao.
The victim, a resident of Barangay Labangal, was slumped at the rear passenger seat with two gunshot wounds.
Ventura said police investigators found inside the vehicle a spent shell of a caliber .45 pistol and a plastic bottle containing gasoline.
“It appeared that the suspects tried to burn the vehicle based on the marks found on the driver’s seat,” he told reporters, adding that Hyun was involved with a construction firm that is bidding on some local projects.
An initial spot report released by the police station described the victim as a Korean national. The city police’s Criminal Investigation Branch said it is verifying information that the victim holds an American passport.
Maj. Yol Hilado, chief of city police station number 3, said Hyun appeared to be also involved in a lending business based on the documents recovered inside the vehicle.
“That is among the angles that our investigators are looking into,” Hilado said in an interview.
Records showed that Hyun was arrested in January 2016 inside a local hotel by elements of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Region 12 for possession of illegal drugs.
Recovered during the operation were suspected shabu worth around PHP75,000 and various drug paraphernalia.
Hyun was reportedly married to a Filipina who owns a restaurant here. (PNA)
