Korean man wanted for 2 US murders extradited after 8 years on the run

A South Korean national who fled the United States after committing two murders has been arrested and extradited to the US eight years later.

The FBI, along with prosecutors and police from Santa Clara County and Orange County in California, announced Friday that they had arrested Kim Myung-jin, 31, a South Korean national wanted in connection with two murders committed in 2016 and 2018, and extradited him from Laos to the United States.

Kim is accused of ordering the murder of a man in San Jose, California, on June 27, 2016. The hitman he hired shot and killed a different person from the intended target.

Kim also faces charges of fatally shooting his friend Christopher Kim over a money dispute in Westminster, California, on Sept. 5, 2018.

After fleeing abroad, Kim was caught when he visited the US Embassy in Laos to inquire about travel documents.

Although the United States and Laos have no extradition treaty, the Department of State and the FBI worked with the Laotian government to secure custody of Kim.

Authorities said the case marks the first time a US fugitive has been extradited from Laos to the United States.

Kim has been indicted in Santa Clara County and is expected to be transferred to Orange County for additional charges after standing trial there.