MANILA- Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II on Thursday said he has received information that some members of the Korean embassy in the Philippines have links to an alleged Korean mafia.

Aguirre made the statement during a probe on the kidnap-slay case of South Korean businessman Jee Ick Joo.

“Even some people in the Korean embassy have been compromised by this Korean mafia,” Aguirre said, noting that the information came from a former official of the National Bureau of Investigation.

Aguirre added that he was told by 2 Korean officials to stop any investigations concerning the Korean mafia since the group is believed to be powerful.

“Talagang malaki na ang lawak na sinasakop nitong Korean mafia,” Aguirre said.

(The scope of this Korean mafia is really big.)

Aguirre has been keen on exploring possible involvement of a Korean mafia in the death of Jee, saying he has received information that the businessman was kidnapped twice by the said mafia before being killed inside Camp Crame.

The NBI and the Philippine National Police however have dismissed the possibility that an alleged Korean mafia was involved in the death of Jee.

• READ: PNP, NBI agree: No Korean mafia behind Jee slay

“May kalaban itong si Jee Ick Joo sa Korean mafia and they hired the scalawags of the PNP [to kill Jee],” Aguirre said. “Hindi mo papatayin kung ito ay kidnapping lang.”

(Jee Ick Joo has a nemesis in the Korean mafia and they hired the scalawags of the PNP... You won't kill if this is just a kidnapping crime.)