The man, who was stationed in the southeastern port city of Busan, left for the Philippines on March 3 just two days before he was to be stripped of diplomatic immunity, said a police official at the city's Haeundae station.
US embassy staffer flees S.Korea amid fraud probe
The unidentified diplomat is suspected of defrauding the 50-year-old woman between September 2007 and June last year by asking her to invest in setting up a computer school in the Philippines, the official said.
The money was left by her American husband who died in a traffic accident, the official told AFP on condition of anonymity, describing the case as "outrageous."
Police who questioned the US citizen of Filipino descent last November found he had no business plan and took the money for his personal use, the official said.
The US government had also looked into the allegations and decided to strip him of his diplomatic immunity, he said.
"We have worked closely with Korean authorities on the case and will continue to do so till we have resolved the situation," said US embassy spokesman Aaron Tarver.
"The Department of Homeland Security employee departed the country without informing the embassy and is currently absent without leave."
Tarver declined comment on whether the man's diplomatic status has been officially revoked or to elaborate further on the case.
Police said the man was involved in a security initiative to check containers in Busan. They said they would seek Interpol's help in locating him.
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