Gangnam 'Kidnapping and Murder' Suspect Yoo, Arrest Warrant for Murder Instigation (Summary)

In this case, 60 million won demanded after the crime
Mr. Yoo denies related charges

The police have applied to the court for an arrest warrant for Mr. Yoo, who is identified as the mastermind behind the kidnapping and murder of a woman in her 40s in Gangnam. Whether Mr. Yoo will be detained will be decided after a pre-arrest suspect interrogation (warrant hearing) at 3:30 p.m. on the same day.

A trio who kidnapped, murdered, and disposed of a woman's body in Gangnam, Seoul. From the left: Lee Kyung-woo (36), Hwang Dae-han (36), Yeon Ji-ho (30). / Photo by Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency

According to the police on the 7th, the Seoul Suseo Police Station applied for an arrest warrant for Mr. Yoo on suspicion of ordering the kidnapping and murder (instigation of robbery-murder), keeping in mind the possibility that he commissioned a contract killing.

The police suspect that Mr. Yoo commissioned the case by giving the principal suspect, Lee Kyung-woo (36), money as an advance payment. Accordingly, the police secured evidence that Mr. Yoo and his spouse gave Lee Kyung-woo 40 million won in two installments in 2021 and had contact even immediately after the crime. Mr. Yoo was arrested on the 5th at a department store in Suji-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi Province. It is known that Lee Kyung-woo met Mr. Yoo twice from the night of the crime on the 29th of last month until his arrest on the afternoon of the 31st, demanding 60 million won. Because of this, it is suggested that the previously given 40 million won was the advance payment for the kidnapping and murder, and the additional 60 million won demanded by Lee Kyung-woo immediately after the crime might be a success fee.

However, Mr. Yoo admitted in police questioning that he had met Lee Kyung-woo recently but completely denied the charge of instigating murder, claiming he was unaware that Lee Kyung-woo had committed the kidnapping and murder. Mr. Yoo's lawyer explained, "Of the 40 million won given to Lee Kyung-woo before the crime, 35 million won was a loan with a five-year repayment period and 2% interest rate in 2021, and the 60 million won demanded by Lee Kyung-woo after the crime was not paid."

The police are also paying attention to the fact that Mr. Yoo and his spouse, and the victim Mr. A, were entangled in various civil and criminal lawsuits related to cryptocurrency investments.

In February 2021, after suffering losses due to a coin crash, Lee Kyung-woo was sent to the prosecution on charges of seizing cryptocurrency worth about 190 million won from Mr. Yoo's wife, Hwang Mo. At that time, Mr. A, who was in charge of promoting coin investments, was also investigated but was not prosecuted. Later, Lee Kyung-woo reconciled with Mr. Yoo and his spouse, but it is reported that Mr. A's relationship with Mr. Yoo and his spouse deteriorated due to various lawsuits.

The police have begun a full-scale reinvestigation into multiple complaints involving Mr. Yoo and his spouse, Hwang Mo. According to the police, the Gyeonggi Ilsan East Police Station recently started investigating a coin fraud case involving the Yoo couple after receiving a request for supplementary investigation from the prosecution.

The Gangnam kidnapping and murder case occurred amid a complex entanglement of perpetrators, victims, and business partners over coin investments that had been ongoing for a long time. It is expected that the prosecution and police must thoroughly reinvestigate the existing coin cases related to the Yoo couple to uncover the full truth.

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