Police: "Lee Gyeong-woo Proposed Kidnapping and Murder... Wealthy Couple Agreed, Crime Details Finalized" (Comprehensive)

Gangnam Kidnapping and Murder Case: Trio Sent to Prosecution
Lee Kyung-woo's Spouse Involved, Delivered Anesthetic
Wealthy Couple Provided 70 Million Won for Crime Funds
Police Investigate Financial Ties of Uninetwork CEO

It was revealed through police investigations that Lee Kyung-woo was the first to propose the crime against the victim of the Gangnam kidnapping and murder case, and that the couple Yoo and Hwang agreed to it. From the beginning, they had planned to kill the victim, and Lee Kyung-woo's spouse was also involved in the crime by secretly taking anesthetics from the hospital.

A trio arrested on charges of kidnapping, murdering, and disposing of the body of a woman in her 40s in Gangnam, Seoul, is being transferred from Seoul Suseo Police Station to the prosecution on the afternoon of the 9th. From left: Lee Kyung-woo, Hwang Dae-han, Yeon Ji-ho. [Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 9th, Baek Nam-ik, chief of the Seoul Suseo Police Station, stated at a press conference held that day, "Regarding this case, Lee Kyung-woo, Hwang Dae-han, and Yeon Ji-ho have been sent to prosecution on charges of robbery-murder, corpse disposal, and violation of the Narcotics Control Act, while their accomplice, a man in his 20s identified as A, was sent to prosecution on charges of attempted robbery." He added, "Additionally, Yoo is under arrest and investigation for instigating robbery-murder, and Hwang has been arrested and a detention warrant has been requested." Furthermore, Chief Baek said, "Lee Kyung-woo's spouse, B, has been booked on charges of violating the Narcotics Control Act, and the circumstances of the crime are being investigated."

According to the police, the Yoo-Hwang couple invested about 100 million won in the 'Pureever' coin at the recommendation of victim C, whom they met through an acquaintance in September 2020, and were responsible for promotion and marketing. However, from January 2021, as Pureever's market price plummeted, investors protested to the Yoo-Hwang couple, holding them responsible, which escalated to confinement and assault at a hotel in March 2021. Lee Kyung-woo also participated in the confinement and assault and was reportedly sued by the Yoo-Hwang couple for joint confinement, coercion, and extortion.

However, in September 2021, the situation changed when Lee Kyung-woo approached the Yoo-Hwang couple. He sought forgiveness for the confinement and kidnapping and built a trust relationship by providing information necessary for civil and criminal lawsuits between the Yoo-Hwang couple and C. Moreover, the Yoo-Hwang couple lent Lee about 35 million won and helped him get a job at a law firm.

Lee Kyung-woo Proposed the Crime After Building Trust with the Yoo-Hwang Couple... The Couple Agreed and Paid 70 Million Won

Lee Kyung-woo, one of the three suspects arrested for kidnapping, murdering, and disposing of the body of a woman in her 40s in Gangnam, Seoul, is answering questions from the press on the afternoon of the 9th at the Suseo Police Station in Seoul before being transferred to the prosecution.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

In September 2022, Lee Kyung-woo approached the Yoo-Hwang couple and explained the plan to kidnap and murder C. The Yoo-Hwang couple agreed to the crime, stating that C had several billion won worth of cryptocurrency and offered to help transfer the cryptocurrency and launder cash. They paid a total of 70 million won, including an initial payment of 20 million won as crime funds. Lee Kyung-woo delivered about 13.2 million won of this to Hwang Dae-han, who participated in the crime around July 2022. However, the Yoo-Hwang couple reportedly deny all charges.

It appears that Lee Kyung-woo had planned to kill C from the start. From the time he prepared for the crime, he gathered tools to be used in the crime and pre-identified places to dispose of and bury the body. He even loaded a pickaxe for digging into the kidnapping vehicle. Lee Kyung-woo reportedly admitted to this part. The estimated time of C's death was around 5:16 a.m. on the 30th of last month, after Hwang Dae-han finished burying the body and spoke with Lee Kyung-woo.

The police estimate the payment for the kidnapping and murder to be about 500 million won. Hwang Dae-han told the police that he believed C had about 3 billion won worth of cryptocurrency and expected to receive about 500 million won from it. He also explained during the investigation that they planned to split this amount after the crime was successful.

Lee Kyung-woo's Spouse Also Involved in the Crime... Destroyed Mobile Phone Under Hwang's Orders

Lee Kyung-woo's spouse was also involved in the crime, according to the investigation. The police reported that around September 2022, 70 million won was withdrawn from Hwang's account, who ordered the crime, and 26.95 million won and 15.65 million won were deposited into B's account. Even after Lee Kyung-woo was arrested, B put C's mobile phone, received from Lee, into a shopping bag and handed it over to Hwang. Furthermore, following Hwang's order to "get rid of the mobile phone," B destroyed their own mobile phone, participating in evidence tampering.

The anesthetic suspected to have been used in the crime was secretly taken out by B from a plastic surgery clinic located in Nonhyeon-dong, Gangnam, where B worked. B brought the anesthetic out and handed it to Lee Kyung-woo, and it was reportedly used during the murder of C. The police are conducting further investigations into the extent of B's involvement in the crime.

Will the Investigation End with Pureever's Issuing Company? Police Considering Public Disclosure of Yoo-Hwang Couple's Identities

A wealthy man named Yoo, suspected to be behind the kidnapping and murder of a woman in her 40s in Gangnam, is entering the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu on the afternoon of the 7th to undergo a pre-arrest suspect interrogation (warrant hearing). [Image source=Yonhap News]

The investigation is expected to expand to Uninet, the company that issued Pureever. Chief Baek said, "We are verifying the financial relationships among Uninet's representative Lee, the victim, and other victims," adding, "At this stage, we are focusing on proving the suspects' charges but are exploring various possibilities."

Meanwhile, the police are also considering publicly disclosing the identities of the Yoo-Hwang couple. Chief Baek stated, "After observing whether a detention warrant is issued for Hwang, we will consider whether to disclose their identities early next week."

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