JTBC commentator, police dispatched during World Cup assignment in 'theft incident'.. 'Park Ji-sung's partner' Kim Hwan: "Chased for two hours" [Star Issue] [Full Text]

*This content was translated by AI.

JTBC commentator Kim Hwan (41) fell victim to a theft incident while on assignment for live coverage of the 2026 North, Central America and Caribbean World Cup in Mexico.

Kim Hwan revealed his harrowing recent experience on his SNS on the 24th, stating, "Last week, my bag was stolen in the lobby of a hotel in Guadalajara, Mexico." He is currently staying in Guadalajara, Mexico, alongside JTBC anchor Baek Sung-jae and former South Korean national team player Park Ji-sung to provide live World Cup coverage.

He recalled, "It was right after I finished broadcasting in Dallas and had just arrived at the hotel. Being a second visit to the accommodation made me let my guard down, which turned out to be the root of the problem."

He continued, "While I briefly left my bag on a lobby chair to check in and turned around, a thief hiding behind a pillar reached out and snatched the bag. The area behind the pillar was directly in front of the front desk, and there were two guards nearby, but the hotel staff claimed they were unaware of anything. In the end, the thief calmly slipped past our broadcast team and escaped."

Kim Hwan, who engaged in a two-hour chase, stated, "After reporting to the police, I turned on the 'Find My Mac' feature and began chasing the thief by car for about 20 kilometers. The location was fixed at Walmart, where I searched inside for the thief. Later, the location was fixed again in an empty lot behind Walmart. Police in Guadalajara arrived on the scene and, after searching trash cans, dramatically recovered the MacBook and iPad! (It is presumed the thief, realizing they were being pursued, abandoned the items and fled)."

Kim Hwan said, "I ultimately could not recover my wallet, ID, cards, cash, clothes, sunglasses, or earphones, but I am truly relieved that I found the MacBook filled with broadcast materials."

He soon added, "At the time, I chased the thief with the sole determination to recover the World Cup materials, but this could have been a very reckless and dangerous act given the unstable security situation in the area. Therefore, I urge everyone not to chase thieves directly."

He further added, "The thief also left a trace the next day when they attempted to pay at Subway using my Travel Wallet card, which had a balance of zero, but the transaction was rejected. Local police investigations and reports to the embassy are currently underway."

Kim Hwan stated, "I have a photo that clearly shows the thief's face, but I will not publish it for safety reasons. However, I want to remind everyone currently in the area that 'hotel lobbies are never absolutely safe. Be especially careful of thieves hiding.' If you fall victim to a theft, do not move on your own. The safest course of action is to report it immediately to the Mexican police or the embassy. I hope everyone completes the remaining World Cup schedule safely."

Last week, my bag was stolen in the lobby of a hotel in Guadalajara, Mexico. It was right after I finished broadcasting in Dallas and had just arrived at the hotel. Being a second visit to the accommodation made me let my guard down, which turned out to be the root of the problem.

Overview of the incident

* While I briefly left my bag on a lobby chair to check in and turned around, a thief hiding behind a pillar reached out and snatched the bag.

* The area behind the pillar was directly in front of the front desk, and there were two guards nearby, but the hotel staff claimed they were unaware of anything.

* In the end, the thief calmly slipped past our broadcast team and escaped.

A two-hour chase

* After reporting to the police, I turned on the 'Find My Mac' feature and began chasing the thief by car for about 20 kilometers.

* The location was fixed at Walmart, where I searched inside for the thief.

* Later, the location was fixed again in an empty lot behind Walmart.

* Police in Guadalajara arrived on the scene and, after searching trash cans, dramatically recovered the MacBook and iPad! (It is presumed the thief, realizing they were being pursued, abandoned the items and fled.)

I ultimately could not recover my wallet, ID, cards, cash, clothes, sunglasses, or earphones, but I am truly relieved that I found the MacBook filled with broadcast materials. At the time, I chased the thief with the sole determination to recover the World Cup materials, but this could have been a very reckless and dangerous act given the unstable security situation in the area. Therefore, I urge everyone not to chase thieves directly.

The thief also left a trace the next day when they attempted to pay at Subway using my Travel Wallet card, which had a balance of zero, but the transaction was rejected. Local police investigations and reports to the embassy are currently underway.

I have a photo that clearly shows the thief's face, but I will not publish it for safety reasons. However, I want to remind everyone currently in the area that 'hotel lobbies are never absolutely safe. Be especially careful of thieves hiding.' If you fall victim to a theft, do not move on your own. The safest course of action is to report it immediately to the Mexican police or the embassy. I hope everyone completes the remaining World Cup schedule safely.

¡Muchas gracias a la Policía de Guadalajara!

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*This content was translated by AI.