Father of Hwaseong Serial Murder Victim from 33 Years Ago Dies Two Months Before State Compensation Lawsuit Verdict

Long-Unsolved Missing Person Case Revealed as Murder After Lee Chun-jae Reinvestigation
Kim Yong-bok's Family Files Compensation Lawsuit Against State for Police Evidence Tampering Delaying Murder Case Truth

The bereaved family of the 'Hwaseong missing elementary school student,' whose murder suspect Lee Chun-jae confessed to, is paying tribute at a park in Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do, where the victim's belongings were found at the time of disappearance on July 7, 2020. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jeong-wan] Kim Yong-bok (69), who lost his elementary school daughter to serial killer Lee Chun-jae 33 years ago, reportedly passed away just two months before the verdict in his lawsuit for damages against the state.

According to the legal community on the 15th, Kim's family filed a lawsuit against the government at the Suwon District Court in March 2020, seeking 250 million won in damages. The reason for the lawsuit was the delay in uncovering the truth about the murder case due to the police's systematic destruction of evidence.

Kim's family stated, "There is a high possibility of criticism as the investigation disregarded human life, bodily dignity, and personal rights, abandoning basic ethical awareness for convenience and performance-oriented results," adding, "The mental anguish of the plaintiffs, including anger and resentment, worsened as police officers affiliated with the defendant (government) denied the crime."

Before Lee Chun-jae's confession, Kim's family only knew that their daughter was missing. The case of Kim's daughter (then 8 years old), who disappeared around 12:30 PM on July 7, 1989, while returning home after school in Taean-eup, Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi Province, remained an unsolved missing person case for over 30 years.

However, when the Southern Gyeonggi Police Agency's investigation headquarters took over the reinvestigation of the Lee Chun-jae case in 2019, it was revealed that Kim's daughter had been murdered. Lee confessed, stating, "I sexually assaulted and killed Kim," and testified, "I tied both hands with a jump rope during the crime."

The investigation headquarters found that the police at the time deliberately destroyed evidence and booked two officers, including the detective in charge of Kim's disappearance case, on charges of corpse concealment and evidence tampering. However, A and others were not held criminally responsible due to the statute of limitations.

It was acknowledged that there was significant suspicion considering that over 30 years ago, the police questioned Kim Yong-bok and Kim's cousin sister as witnesses about the jump rope, and that Kim's belongings were found nearby five months after the incident but the family was not informed.

Kim Yong-bok's wife passed away shortly after filing the lawsuit two years ago, and with Kim Yong-bok's death last September, their son, Kim's daughter's brother, is now solely handling the lawsuit.

Kim's family's lawyer said, "As parents, losing even the last hope (such as recovering the body) caused immense mental shock leading to death," and changed the compensation amount from the original 250 million won to 400 million won. The lawyer added, "Kim's parents, who were physically healthy and had a sufficient life expectancy, both died within just 2 to 3 years after the police's illegal acts were revealed," and said, "It cannot be ruled out that the police's systematic concealment of the case had an impact."

The Korea Legal Aid Corporation, representing the defendant Republic of Korea, reportedly rebutted, saying, "Since no objective evidence was found, the case was inevitably treated as a missing person case," and "This case does not constitute violence or human rights violations systematically committed by the state." The verdict is scheduled for the 17th, and after 2 years and 8 months since the lawsuit was filed, it is expected to determine whether the state will be held responsible.

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