A South Korean convicted killer serving a prison sentence in the Philippines reportedly planned an unusual escape by strapping himself to a drone, but the plot was foiled after footage of a friend’s training session exposed the plan.
Park Wang-yeol, 47, reportedly spent about US$74,000 (RM299,360) to make the drone-assisted escape possible.
Wang-yeol was sentenced to 60 years in prison in 2022 for killing three South Koreans at a sugarcane farm outside Bacolod City in 2016.
The killings earned him the nickname “sugarcane farm killer”.
According to South Korean broadcaster JTBC, the drone escape plan was devised earlier this year, several weeks before Wang-yeol was temporarily repatriated to South Korea in March.
He was sent back to face charges linked to the importation of 4.8kg of methamphetamine.
However, the unusual escape attempt never took place after footage of a friend’s training session reportedly exposed the plot.
The footage allegedly showed preparations to test the drone-assisted escape method before it was used to carry Wang-yeol out of prison.
It was not the first time Wang-yeol had attempted to escape custody.
He had previously escaped twice, in 2017 and 2019, while being transported back after attending court proceedings.
Wang-yeol is currently in South Korea following his temporary repatriation in March, where he is facing the drug-related charges.
