“Oh? Isn’t That Kim Soyoung?”... Witness Testimonies Pour In After Personal Information Disclosure

Reports from Acquaintances Surge Following Disclosure of Personal Information

The public photo of the suspect Kim Soyoung in the 'Gangbuk Motel Drug Incident' (right) and a photo from the SNS account presumed to be Kim's. Online community

Since the disclosure of personal information about Kim Soyoung (20), the suspect in the serial murder case that occurred in the Gangbuk District of Seoul, there have been a series of reports related to her past actions.

According to a compilation of reports from SBS and The Korea Times on March 11, Kim Soyoung reportedly had several conflicts over theft issues while attending a youth center in Seoul in 2024.

Person A, who stayed at the center with Kim at the time, claimed that Kim stole their wallet and AirPods. When Person A tried to request a review of the center’s internal CCTV after the items went missing, Kim allegedly tried to deflect by saying, "The CCTV is broken."

However, when the center staff informed them that the CCTV was functioning normally, Kim eventually admitted to the theft. Person A said, "We were close, and I called her 'unni' (older sister), but she acted nonchalantly without any sign of remorse." According to Person A, Kim returned the wallet but only gave back the empty AirPods case, saying, "I broke the earbuds and flushed them down the toilet."

"Whenever She’s Around, Things Always Go Missing"

The disclosed face of suspect So-Young Kim in the 'Gangbuk Motel Drug Case' (right) and photos from a social media account presumed to be hers. Online community

Person A also said, "Another friend who was close to Kim lost some cosmetics and remarked, 'Whenever I’m with Kim, things always go missing.' The center staff were also puzzled, saying, 'Whenever we restock sanitary pads, they keep disappearing.'"

Person B, who also interacted with Kim at the center, said, "There was another incident where Kim stole someone’s wallet," and recounted what they witnessed. Right after Person A was victimized, their friend Person C also confessed that their wallet had disappeared the first time they met Kim. Person B explained, "When Kim was suspected at the time, she strongly denied it and became angry instead."

Due to these issues, Kim was eventually expelled from the youth center. The center is an institution that supports out-of-school youth with academics and daily life, and it was also reported that Kim had previously dropped out of high school after being involved in a theft incident there.

"Suspected Impulse Control Disorder"

Experts analyze that repeated theft could be related to impulse control problems. Oh Yoonseong, a professor of police administration at Soonchunhyang University and a criminal psychology expert, said, "Kleptomania can also be seen as a behavior related to a desire for control. If she repeatedly committed theft despite knowing it could sever relationships with those around her, there is reason to suspect the possibility of an impulse control disorder."

Regarding this case, he also added, "It is possible that she tried to gain a sense of psychological superiority or self-esteem by keeping men she met online under her control and using them."

Mr. Kim's appearance on CCTV (right) and a photo on a social media account presumed to be his. Screenshot from online community and Channel A news broadcast.

Previously, the Seoul Northern District Prosecutors’ Office held a Personal Information Disclosure Review Committee on March 9 and revealed Kim Soyoung’s name, age, and face. Although Kim expressed her desire not to disclose her information during the review process, her request was not accepted.

Kim is accused of causing the deaths of two men in their 20s, whom she met online, by making them drink beverages containing benzodiazepine-class sleeping pills from December last year to February this year, and rendering another man unconscious. On March 10, prosecutors indicted Kim on charges including murder, aggravated assault, and violation of the Narcotics Control Act (psychotropic substances).

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