Korean gunned down in Mexico City

MEXICO CITY (Yonhap News) – An employee of a South Korean conglomerate was gunned down by unknown assailants in downtown Mexico City, corporate and consulate sources said Friday.

The unidentified victim who had worked for the local branch of a South Korean conglomerate was shot to death in an upper-class residential area on his way home from work on Thursday. The residential area, which has a sizable Korean population, had been largely untouched by the recent rise in violence in Mexico's capital.

(Yonhap News)

Local police said witnesses reported seeing three men fire up to 13 rounds at the deceased, who was hit next to his car.

Investigators said that no valuables were stolen, and since the dead man was specifically targeted by the assailants, it may have been more than simple murder.

"The deceased had worked for the company for seven years and he was a conscientious employee," the head of the company's office, who declined to be identified, told authorities.

Related to the incident, the South Korean consulate in Mexico City said that it has contacted local law enforcement authorities to check the circumstances behind the shooting death.

The consulate has intensified efforts to protect Koreans living in Mexico from the rise in violence.

The latest death comes eight months after two Koreans were shot while riding in the same taxi together.

There were 32 violent crimes committed against Koreans in Mexico last year, including two murders.