Where Are the Women Who Met Serial Killer Choi Sin-jong... Evidence of Burner Phones Also Revealed

Choi Sinjong Uses Chat App to Target Victimized Women
Uses at Least One Mobile Phone to Access Chat App
Police Investigate Personal Information of Women Contacted by Choi

Busan Missing Woman's Body Found Site Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] The police have recently secured the call records of Choi Sin-jong (31, in custody), who is accused of murdering and abandoning women who went missing in Jeonju, Jeonbuk, and Busan, over the past year to investigate the connection to the crimes. During this period, Choi Sin-jong communicated with about 1,000 people.

The individuals who contacted Choi Sin-jong were not all women; family members, relatives, and acquaintances were also included.

However, since there was a woman who came to meet Choi Sin-jong in Busan through a random chat app and was murdered, concerns are growing that there may be other female victims.

In particular, it has been confirmed that Choi Sin-jong used multiple mobile phones, and suspicions are focused on the criminal connection behind their usage.

According to the Jeonbuk Provincial Police Agency investigating the case, Choi Sin-jong used chat apps to scout for female victims.

A police official said, "Choi Sin-jong approached the female victims through a random chat app," adding, "We are currently investigating the exact scale of how many women Choi met through the chat app, and we are identifying the personal information of the women he approached."

He continued, "Some women who are currently unreachable may have simply changed their contact information, but we are keeping all possibilities open in the investigation."

Choi Sin-jong (31), a suspect arrested on charges of murdering two women who went missing in Jeonju, Jeonbuk, and Busan / Provided by Jeonbuk Police Agency

In particular, it has been revealed that Choi Sin-jong committed crimes using at least one other mobile phone to engage in random chatting.

A police official explained, "There is evidence that Choi Sin-jong accessed the chat app through another mobile phone."

Considering the circumstances where his criminal acts targeting female victims would inevitably be recorded, the mobile phone is presumed to be a so-called burner phone used to conceal his identity or evade police tracking.

The police are also investigating the criminal connection regarding the fact that Choi Sin-jong used multiple mobile phones.

According to the police, Choi is accused of murdering two women who went missing in Jeonju, Jeonbuk, and Busan, and robbing their valuables (robbery-murder).

On the 14th of last month, he strangled A (34, female), a friend of his wife, to death and abandoned the body near a river. Four days later, on the 18th, he also murdered B (29, female), who came from Busan, using the same method and abandoned the body in an orchard.

The police believe that Choi Sin-jong and B met through a random chat app as strangers.

In particular, it has been revealed that he committed robbery and sexual assault during the process of murdering the women.

Choi Sin-jong is known to have operated a delivery agency in Jeonju and suffered financial difficulties due to gambling debts amounting to tens of millions of won.

At around 3 p.m. on the 12th, a woman's body was found in an orchard in Sang-gwan-myeon, Wanju-gun, Jeonbuk, and the police are verifying her identity. [Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 20th, the Jeonbuk Police Agency held a personal information disclosure review committee consisting of three internal police members, a lawyer, and four external members including university professors, and decided to disclose Choi’s face, age, and other personal information.

This is the first time that personal information has been disclosed for a suspect who committed a violent crime in the Jeonbuk area.

A police official explained the background of the disclosure, saying, "We judged that disclosing the suspect’s personal information aligns with the public interest in terms of the public’s right to know, preventing recurrence of similar crimes, and crime prevention."

He added, "Although the suspect did not use a weapon or mutilate the bodies, he showed brutal behavior by committing murders consecutively within just four days and tried to destroy evidence by abandoning the bodies. Considering the meticulous nature of the crimes and the irreparable serious harm caused to two victims, we made this decision."

Meanwhile, Choi Sin-jong is not expected to appear at the 'photo line' (media photo session).

Since Choi Sin-jong has already been indicted and detained for the murder of the first woman who went missing in Jeonju, unlike other suspects whose faces were exposed during the prosecution transfer stage, he is expected to appear in court soon.

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