MANILA— The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has arrested a 41-year-old South Korean national wanted in his home country over alleged illegal gambling activities involving unauthorized online game servers operated in the Philippines.

BI Fugitive Search Unit Chief Rendel Ryan Sy identified the suspect as Lee Seunghyun, who was apprehended on October 13 in Barangay Western Bicutan, Taguig City.

Sy said the arrest followed a request from the South Korean government to deport Lee so he could face charges there. The suspect is also reportedly the subject of an Interpol Red Notice.

According to information provided by the South Korean Embassy, the Busan District Court issued an arrest warrant against Lee on January 15, 2026, for alleged violations of South Korea’s Game Industry Promotion Act.

South Korean authorities alleged that Lee and his accomplices had operated three unauthorized private online game servers in Angeles City beginning in January 2019 by manipulating an interface adapter.

The group allegedly earned illicit revenue by accepting cash payments from users in exchange for “Adena,” the virtual currency used in the game, thereby facilitating unauthorized monetary transactions through the servers.

BI records also showed that Lee last entered the Philippines on July 26, 2018, and had remained in the country since then, making him an overstaying foreign national, Sy said.

Lee had been included in the bureau’s blacklist since August 2019 as a fugitive from justice.

He is currently detained at the BI detention facility in Taguig City while awaiting the finality of his deportation proceedings.

BI Commissioner Joel Anthony M. Viado said the bureau would continue to pursue foreign fugitives and prevent them from using the Philippines to evade prosecution.

“The Philippines will not be a safe haven for fugitives. Those wanted for criminal offenses abroad cannot use our country as a refuge from accountability. The BI will continue to track down foreign fugitives, enforce our immigration laws, and work with international partners to ensure that those sought by foreign authorities face the appropriate legal processes,” Viado said.