The gang allegedly sought to claim the victim’s insurance worth about Bt10 million.

Deputy police chief Pol General Chalermkiat Srivorakan yesterday said Chaiyaphum Court had approved arrest warrants for the four Koreans – Park Chung-hee, Cho Eunsoree, Park Chang-joo and Kim Choy-yong – on charges of conspiring in a premeditated murder and for disposing of the body to conceal the crime.

Crime Suppression adviser Pol General Hanpol Nitwibul said the victim, who had never been to Thailand before, was believed to have been lured to the country by the gang, which planned to kill him to get money from his life insurance policy.

Cho, who was the victim’s female acquaintance, and Park Chung-hee allegedly tricked Lee into buying an insurance policy in South Korea that named Cho as the beneficiary. They then arranged for his air ticket to Thailand a few days later.

Upon Lee’s arrival, Park Chang-joo and Kim allegedly picked up the victim, murdered him and disposed of his body before flying back to South Korea.

Hanpol said police investigators would turn the case over to the Office of the Attorney-General to file a request for extradition. Park Chang-joo and Kim were reportedly arrested for unrelated crimes and have already confessed to killing Lee, while Cho and Park Chung-hee maintained their innocence.