Prosecutors Indict and Detain 'Sillim Station Murder Threat Suspect'... "Crime Motivated by Misogyny"

A man in his 20s who posted online about killing women near Sillim Station has been brought to trial.

Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, Seocho-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office special investigation team (led by Chief Prosecutor Kim Soo-min) on the 11th formally indicted Lee (26) on charges of attempted murder, intimidation, and violation of the Information and Communications Network Act.

The prosecution applied the charge of attempted murder for the first time in response to a copycat crime threat posted online following the "Sillim-dong stabbing rampage" incident.

Lee is accused of purchasing a 32.5 cm long weapon with the intent to kill women passing near Sillim Station on the 24th of last month and posting a message on an internet bulletin board stating, "On Wednesday at Sillim Station, I will kill 20 women." The prosecution applied the intimidation charge, viewing that Lee threatened those who viewed the post.

Additionally, the prosecution added the attempted murder charge after investigating viewers of Lee’s post and residents near Sillim Station, as well as conducting a re-forensic examination of Lee’s mobile phone. It was confirmed that besides purchasing the weapon, Lee searched on his phone for photos of serial killers Yoo Young-chul, Lee Chun-jae, and Jeon Ju-hwan, as well as images depicting hesitation about "random killings," which led the prosecution to conclude that there was a clear intent for murder, attempted murder, and preparatory acts for killing.

The prosecution also noted that the target of the crime was specifically "women" and that there was sufficient motive rooted in misogyny. After receiving the case from the police, the prosecution conducted a seizure and search of internet community posts and found that Lee had posted approximately 1,700 misogynistic posts over about five months since March, using the derogatory term "Hannyeo" to disparage Korean women. Lee’s posts included statements targeting women such as "Tie them all up and kill them," and "I can hunt 10 in 2 minutes."

The prosecution applied charges of violating the Information and Communications Network Act to these posts. They concluded that Lee, who was unemployed and economically struggling, had become immersed in games and the internet, and his hatred exploded as he blamed women for his unhappy situation. An integrated psychological analysis of Lee revealed high victim mentality, pessimistic thoughts about his circumstances, and polarized behavior characteristics stemming from suppressed hostility.

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