By Chung Hyun-chae



Security concerns are growing among Koreans in the Philippines, following a recent incident in which Filipino police officers allegedly kidnapped and killed a Korean businessman there.



According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Philippine authorities sent investigation results showing that eight suspects abducted Ji Ick-joo, 53, to extort a ransom, and then strangled him. The suspects included three local police officers, one former policeman and the victim's housekeeper.



It was the first time police officers were found to be involved in a violent crime against a Korean resident.



The murder fueled concerns over the safety of the Korean community there.



"I was shocked when I heard local police officers had taken part in the case," Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se said during a phone conversation with his Philippine counterpart, Perfecto Yasay, Tuesday.



Yasay vowed a thorough investigation and punishment of those involved.



"The Philippine police force has a long history of corruption because they work on little pay," said Park Oi-byung, a professor of the Department of Police Administration at Dongseo University in Busan. "Actually there have been undisclosed crimes involving local police and even prosecutors who are in cahoots with criminal gangs."



Park served as a consul in the Philippines from 1996 to 2000.



He praised a war on criminal suspects declared by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.



About 5,700 people have been killed since Duterte took office in the middle of last year.



"We need to invite Philippine police officers to Korea and provide training to develop their investigation abilities," Park said.



He also suggested installing more CCTV cameras in regions where the Korean population is concentrated.



"It would also be great to establish an intergovernmental cooperation system with China and Japan to improve security in policing for their citizens living in the Philippines," Park added.



Crimes against Koreans in the Philippines have been occurring for a long time.



According to the ministry, more than 1 million Koreans visit the Philippines every year and about 90,000 residents living there.



The risk is especially hazardous for wealthy tourists and businessmen.

The number of Koreans murdered in the Philippines last year stood at seven including Ji.



In 2015, the Korean government sent a police attache to the Philippines to help protect Korean residents.



Six Korean police officers are currently working at the Philippine National Police Agency.



"We plan to establish a system under which Korean residents can check if arrest warrants are fake or not by calling the Korean Embassy when local police try to arrest them," said Jeong Ji-Kyu, deputy director general of the bureau of overseas Korean nationals and consular affairs at the foreign affairs ministry.



