Because of Theft Complaint... 'Motel Serial Murder' Kim Soyoung Feigned Psychiatric Treatment

Feigning PTSD to Obtain Psychiatric Treatment
Previously Filed Sexual Assault Complaint

Kim Soyoung's appearance on CCTV (right) and a photo from an SNS account believed to be hers. Screenshot from SNS and Channel A news broadcast

Kim Soyoung (20), the suspect in a series of murders that occurred in the Gangbuk District of Seoul, was previously found to have filed a complaint accusing a man—who had reported her for theft—of quasi-rape.

According to materials submitted by Assemblyman Yang Bunam of the Democratic Party of Korea to the National Police Agency on March 18, Kim Soyoung filed a quasi-rape complaint against a man at the Gangbuk Police Station in Seoul. The case was subsequently transferred to another police station after being received.

According to the prosecution’s indictment, after the man reported her for theft, Kim Soyoung pretended to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and sought psychiatric treatment. She then crushed medication obtained through this process into powder using the handle of a kitchen knife at home, mixed it with a hangover remedy, and used it to commit her crimes.

The indictment also revealed that, after the victim—who had lost consciousness in December of last year—sent her a message saying, "I might never have woken up," she consulted ChatGPT about the dangers of taking sleeping pills and proceeded to commit additional offenses.

Kim Soyoung is accused of causing the deaths of two men in their twenties, whom she met online, and leaving another in a coma by making them drink beverages laced with benzodiazepine-based sleeping pills from December last year to February this year. On March 10, prosecutors indicted Kim Soyoung on charges including murder, aggravated assault, and violations of the Narcotics Control Act (psychotropic drugs), and she has been detained.

Meanwhile, after Kim Soyoung’s court-appointed attorney submitted a resignation request on March 16, the court canceled the appointment the next day, March 17, and assigned a new court-appointed attorney.

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