숨진 유병언 전 세모그룹 회장(73)의 장남 유대균(44)과 그의 도피를 도운 박수경(34)씨 등 총3명이 검거됐다.
지난 25일 저녁 7시쯤 경기도 용인 수지의 한 오피스텔에서 유병언과 박수경을 검거했다고 경찰은 밝혔다.
경찰은 이들에게 오피스텔과 음식 등을 제공한 혐의(범인도피)로 하모(35.여)씨도 긴급체포했다.
지난 3개월 동안 사실상 두 사람이 함께 은둔한 것으로 알려지면서 유대균과 박수경의 관계 역시 단순 도피조력자의 수준을 넘어선 것이라는 주장이 나오고 있다.
특출난 무술 실력을 바탕으로 유대균 씨의 호위무사 역할을 한 박수경 씨는 기독교복음침례회(구원파)의 신도로, ‘신엄마’ 신명희(64) 씨의 딸이다.
현재 이혼 소송 중임에도 박수경 씨는 유대균 씨의 도피생활 내내 함께한 것으로 알려졌다.
신엄마의 딸이라 신뢰도가 높았던 박수경 씨는 태권도 선수 출신이라 개인 보디가드 역할을 겸한 것으로 전해졌다 .
20년가량의 태권도 선수 경력의 박수경 씨는 태권도 협회 상임 심판이고, 국제 심판 자격증도 가지고 있다. 태권도계에서는 이른바 ‘미녀 심판’으로 불려졌다.
앞서 검찰은 지난 15일 유대균 씨의 운전기사 양회정(56)씨, ‘김엄마’ 김명숙(59·여)씨와 더불어 박수경 씨를 공개 수배한 바 있다.
박수경 씨의 모친 신엄마는 이미 지난 2일 유씨 도피를 도운 혐의로 구속 기소된 상태다.
박수경 유대균 검거 소식을 접한 누리꾼들은 “박수경 유대균 검거, 아버지 죽은 거 알면 충격받을텐데” “박수경 유대균 검거, 유병언 과연 죽은 걸까”, “박수경 유대균 검거, 모녀가 충성했네 ” “박수경 유대균 검거, 법의 심판 받아야” 등의 반응을 보였다.
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Sewol owner's oldest son, his assistant detained
The police said that investigators arrested Yoo Dae-kyoon, the eldest son of the runaway Yoo Byung-eun, at a residence in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, at around 7 p.m. on Friday.
In addition, Park Soo-kyung, who was staying with Yoo Dae-kyoon, has also been captured. Park is a daughter of Shin Myung-hee, who was a female confidante of Yoo Byung-eun.
Park had allegedly been accompanying Dae-kyoon during his escape. Her mother Shin Myung-hee is known to be a key leader of the Salvation Sect, which was led by the Sewol owner Yoo Byung-eun, who was found dead by a farmer on June 12.
Investigators have recently carried out a full-fledged manhunt for the fugitive Dae-kyoon in Ulsan and South Gyeongsang Province. But police seized him via a raid on an officetel in Yongin, a satellite city south of Seoul.
The residence is reportedly owned by a confidante, surnamed Ha, of Dae-kyoon.
The senior Yoo and his son had been on the nation’s most wanted list for about two months. The police had reinforced its investigative manpower in the Gyeongsang provinces after obtaining the intelligence that one of Yoo Dae-kyoon’s aides, a woman in her 30s, recently bought some goods at a store in Ulsan.
The woman is believed to be Park Soo-kyung, 34, according to police officers. She had allegedly been accompanying Dae-kyoon during his flight from the authorities after the April 16 sinking tragedy.
The Incheon District Prosecutors' Office -- which has been conducting an extraordinary probe into Yoo Byung-eun's family and aides in coordination with the police -- is likely to soon ask the court to issue warrants for the two suspects to take them into custody.
Key allegations include that the ferry owner and his three children -- Dae-kyoon, the second son Hyuk-kee and the daughter Seom-na -- own stakes in Chonghaejin Marine Co., the operator of the capsized Sewol, through shady cross-funding by exploiting dozens of sister firms.
Formerly, a group of investigators were dispatched to several cafes and restaurants including the Monte Cristo in Nonhyeon-dong, Gangnam-gu, which have been under the management of Dae-kyoon.
In efforts by law enforcement authorities to prevent the Yoo family -- suspected of engaging in a variety of business irregularities -- from stashing away their property, the investigators seized some 100 high-priced art works that were exhibited in the establishments.
Park Soo-kyung’s mother Shin Myung-hee, 64, gave herself up to the prosecution on June 13 -- only one day after Yoo’s body was discovered at a farm in Suncheon, South Jeolla Province.
Shin, who is suspected of having masterminded Yoo Byung-eun’s escape, was taken into custody.
By Kim Yon-se (kys@heraldcorp.com)
