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S. Korean woman uses plastic surgery to evade arrest for 6 years

August 21, 2015

An ad in South Korea for plastic surgery (Yonhap)

By Jhoo Dong-chan

A woman who eluded investigators for more than six years after she underwent plastic surgery was arrested earlier this month.

According to the Seoul Southern District Prosecutor’s Office, Thursday, the woman, surnamed Yun, 57, who ran a small company, became the focus of an investigation by the prosecution in 2009 after failing to pay salary and severances worth a total of 193 million won ($162,000) to her 63 employees.

At the time of the probe Yun was not detained and defied multiple court summons from the prosecution before she disappeared.

A court trial began but she never attended the proceedings. Seoul Southern District Court sentenced Yun in her absence to eight months in prison in July last year. Investigators then began searching for her.

They raided a restaurant in Anseong, Gyeonggi Province, which Yun was suspected of operating, but could not find anyone matching the photo from her resident card registration.

Then restaurant suddenly closed shortly after the raid. Believing the owner was Yun, they apprehended her on Aug. 12, more than six years after her disappearance.

Investigators were shocked because her appearance was very different to the photo they had. Yun had plastic surgery on her eyes while she was on the run. It was later determined that investigators encountered Yun during their raid of the restaurant but did not recognize her at the time due to her altered appearance.