By Lee Han-soo
A Korean man who fled the country after raping a minor was repatriated after committing the same crime in Australia, according to the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) Thursday.
The rapist, surnamed Hwang, 35, was initially sentenced to 30 months' jail, suspended for four years, in 2010 for raping and assaulting a female high school student.
But during his probation, police and the prosecutors' office investigated Hwang for breaking and entering in June 2012.
Sensing his probation would be cancelled, Hwang fled to Australia after a layover in the Philippines in July 2012.
The Korean court sentenced Hwang to an additional eight months in prison in his absence.
But even in Australia, Hwang's old habits continued.
He was eventually caught and an Australian court sentenced him to nine years in prison on four charges of rape and attempted rape during his stay in New South Wales.
The Korean MOJ and prosecution office are known to have been responsible for Hwang getting a heavier penalty by providing Australian authorities with his Korean rape case and criminal history information.
The MOJ requested that Hwang be extradited after he finished his sentence in Australia.
Australian authorities decided to deport him on Tuesday after Hwang was released on parole. This allowed the MOJ to arrest him at Sydney International Airport and return him to South Korea.
"We hope the notion that fleeing to another country in the hope of avoiding punishment but eventually leading to being caught and brought to justice will spread as an outcome of this case," a MOJ official said.
A Korean man who fled the country after raping a minor was repatriated after committing the same crime in Australia, according to the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) Thursday.
The rapist, surnamed Hwang, 35, was initially sentenced to 30 months' jail, suspended for four years, in 2010 for raping and assaulting a female high school student.
But during his probation, police and the prosecutors' office investigated Hwang for breaking and entering in June 2012.
Sensing his probation would be cancelled, Hwang fled to Australia after a layover in the Philippines in July 2012.
The Korean court sentenced Hwang to an additional eight months in prison in his absence.
But even in Australia, Hwang's old habits continued.
He was eventually caught and an Australian court sentenced him to nine years in prison on four charges of rape and attempted rape during his stay in New South Wales.
The Korean MOJ and prosecution office are known to have been responsible for Hwang getting a heavier penalty by providing Australian authorities with his Korean rape case and criminal history information.
The MOJ requested that Hwang be extradited after he finished his sentence in Australia.
Australian authorities decided to deport him on Tuesday after Hwang was released on parole. This allowed the MOJ to arrest him at Sydney International Airport and return him to South Korea.
"We hope the notion that fleeing to another country in the hope of avoiding punishment but eventually leading to being caught and brought to justice will spread as an outcome of this case," a MOJ official said.
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