Lee Chun-jae's Confession: Family of Missing Hwaseong Elementary Student Case Files Complaint Against Investigating Police Officers

Defense Attorney "Expecting Flexible Judgment on Statute of Limitations"

Police are searching for the remains of the "missing elementary school student in Hwaseong," confirmed to have been killed by Lee Chun-jae (56), the suspect in the Hwaseong serial murder case, using equipment such as ground-penetrating radar at Park A in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-ju] The bereaved family of the victim in the "Hwaseong Elementary School Student Disappearance Case," one of the murder cases confessed by Lee Chun-jae (57), has filed a complaint with the prosecution and police against the police officers in charge at the time who concealed the case.

Lee Jung-do, a lawyer from the law firm Chamboon representing the victim's family, announced in a press release on the 30th that the police officers in charge at the time were reported to the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office and the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency on charges including falsification and use of false official documents, aiding and abetting a criminal, violation of the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes (special dereliction of duty), and dereliction of duty.

The case involves Kim Mo (8), a second-grade elementary school student who disappeared while returning home on July 7, 1989, in Taean-eup, Hwaseong-gun, Gyeonggi Province. The case, which had remained an unsolved disappearance, came to light when Lee Chun-jae confessed to killing Kim. The police found Kim’s belongings and the bones of her hands tied with a jump rope but reportedly downplayed the case as a simple disappearance, leading to the officers being booked on charges of corpse concealment and evidence tampering.

Lawyer Lee emphasized, "The accused (police officers in charge at the time) concealed Kim’s body by burying it in the mountains, created and used false statements, and closed the case as a simple runaway. They did not inform the family about the discovery of the body and illegally disposed of evidence related to the case, such as belongings."

He added, "The accused were in a position to arrest the perpetrator but instead continued illegal acts by concealing the criminal facts. Since the illegal acts continued, it can be interpreted that the crime persisted, so the statute of limitations has not expired."

Lawyer Lee expressed hope that "the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office and Gyeonggi Nambu Police Agency, which received the complaint, will make a more progressive and flexible judgment regarding whether the statute of limitations has expired for this betrayal of the public by investigative agencies that should ensure public safety." He urged, "Through thorough investigation of the clear criminal acts during the police investigation at the time, the accused should receive appropriate and severe punishment. Even if punishment is impossible, we call for wholehearted efforts to reveal the truth behind the victim’s unjust death and the concealment of the case."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.