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South Korean missing after casino visit
NUS research fellow was last seen at Marina Bay Sands by his colleague on Feb 22
By Jalelah Abu Baker
A 35-YEAR-OLD South Korean man, last seen by his friend at the Marina Bay Sands casino, has been missing for 16 days.
Dr Lee Pan Seop, a research fellow at the Centre for Governance, Institutions and Organisations in the National University of Singapore (NUS), was last seen at about 3am on Feb 22 by his close friend, housemate and colleague Shim Jung Wook.
On that day, the two, along with other friends, had visited the casino and then separated to play different games.
Dr Shim said when he wanted to go home hours later, he looked for Dr Lee but could not find him. Over the next six days, Dr Lee did not show up at the flat they shared or at work.
Dr Shim then sought help from the Korean Embassy, whose staff advised him to report the matter to the police, which he did on Feb 28. The consular section of the embassy told The Straits Times that it has contacted the single man's brother in South Korea.
The chances of Dr Lee having left the country are slim as once a person is reported missing, officers at any checkpoint would be alerted to keep a lookout for the person.
While he did not want to comment on the regularity of Dr Lee's casino visits, Dr Shim said: 'I can tell you that that was not his first time there.'
He implied that Dr Lee might have incurred big losses at the casino.
'There are many people who go missing in casinos overseas after going bankrupt,' he said.
While Dr Lee may not have cash on him, he had his casino membership card, Dr Shim said.
There are different tiers of the card, and the most basic involves a free sign-up. Members can use the card to accumulate gaming points and 'dollars', which can be used in the casino and participating outlets, such as eateries, in the shopping centre.
A spokesman for NUS said it is assisting with police investigations and declined to comment on whether Dr Lee's absence at work will affect his job status.
Dr Lee holds a PhD in business administration from Korea University.
The centre he works in deals with industry-related and research work, including surveys and research on issues relating to corporate governance and organisations.
Marina Bay Sands would say only that it is supporting the police in its investigations.
Dr Shim said he is certain that his countryman will turn up at the casino again.
'He may have already gone there two or three more times since he went missing,' he said, adding that he himself had gone to the casino a few times in the hope of tracking him down.
Dr Lee was last seen wearing a purple cotton jacket, light brown trousers and black shoes. He is 1.67m tall, fair and has medium-length hair.
Anyone with information may call the police hotline on 1800-255-0000.
NUS research fellow was last seen at Marina Bay Sands by his colleague on Feb 22
By Jalelah Abu Baker
A 35-YEAR-OLD South Korean man, last seen by his friend at the Marina Bay Sands casino, has been missing for 16 days.
Dr Lee Pan Seop, a research fellow at the Centre for Governance, Institutions and Organisations in the National University of Singapore (NUS), was last seen at about 3am on Feb 22 by his close friend, housemate and colleague Shim Jung Wook.
On that day, the two, along with other friends, had visited the casino and then separated to play different games.
Dr Shim said when he wanted to go home hours later, he looked for Dr Lee but could not find him. Over the next six days, Dr Lee did not show up at the flat they shared or at work.
Dr Shim then sought help from the Korean Embassy, whose staff advised him to report the matter to the police, which he did on Feb 28. The consular section of the embassy told The Straits Times that it has contacted the single man's brother in South Korea.
The chances of Dr Lee having left the country are slim as once a person is reported missing, officers at any checkpoint would be alerted to keep a lookout for the person.
While he did not want to comment on the regularity of Dr Lee's casino visits, Dr Shim said: 'I can tell you that that was not his first time there.'
He implied that Dr Lee might have incurred big losses at the casino.
'There are many people who go missing in casinos overseas after going bankrupt,' he said.
While Dr Lee may not have cash on him, he had his casino membership card, Dr Shim said.
There are different tiers of the card, and the most basic involves a free sign-up. Members can use the card to accumulate gaming points and 'dollars', which can be used in the casino and participating outlets, such as eateries, in the shopping centre.
A spokesman for NUS said it is assisting with police investigations and declined to comment on whether Dr Lee's absence at work will affect his job status.
Dr Lee holds a PhD in business administration from Korea University.
The centre he works in deals with industry-related and research work, including surveys and research on issues relating to corporate governance and organisations.
Marina Bay Sands would say only that it is supporting the police in its investigations.
Dr Shim said he is certain that his countryman will turn up at the casino again.
'He may have already gone there two or three more times since he went missing,' he said, adding that he himself had gone to the casino a few times in the hope of tracking him down.
Dr Lee was last seen wearing a purple cotton jacket, light brown trousers and black shoes. He is 1.67m tall, fair and has medium-length hair.
Anyone with information may call the police hotline on 1800-255-0000.
