Former South Korean cop Kim Soon Sik, 63, his compatriot Kang Seon Hok, 30, and Chinese man Li Tian Guan, 58, received the death sentence from the Family and Juvenile Court under the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Court for drug trafficking, following a four-day trial.

In early 2020, Sik met Guan during a meal at a Korean restaurant. In June 2020, he accepted Guan's offer to transport drugs for ₩5 million ($3,808) per kilogram, and he also invited his former cellmate Hak to join.

From July 3 to July 12, 2020, Sik and Hak received drugs for Vu three times, totaling to 39.5 kg. The drugs were taken back to Sik’s apartment, then brought to his lover’s house to be hidden between slabs of granite, according to investigators.