Business Standard ·
South Korean man's plot to escape prison by strapping self to drone foiled
Philippines: South Korean man convicted of killing three people allegedly planned to flee a Philippine prison by being carried over its walls by a heavy-duty drone
South Korean man convicted of killing three people allegedly planned to flee a Philippine prison by being carried over its walls by a heavy-duty drone
A South Korean killer allegedly hatched a daring plan to escape from a Philippine prison by flying over its walls while suspended from a heavy-duty drone, according to a report by South Korean broadcaster JTBC.
Park Wang-yeol, 47, was convicted of killing three Koreans in the Philippines and is accused by Korean authorities of continuing to direct an illegal drug distribution network from behind bars.
His escape plan, however, never got off the ground. Footage of an associate testing the drone by suspending himself beneath it surfaced in local media, exposing the operation and prompting a change in Park's prison transfer schedule.
Park had reportedly spent about 100 million won ($74,000) preparing the escape, according to JTBC. He was sentenced by a Philippine court in 2022 to between 52 and 60 years in prison.
Park's alleged escape plan was reportedly being prepared in the weeks before he was temporarily transferred to South Korea in March 2026.