Gwangju High School Girl Murder Suspect May Face Additional Charge of "Preparation for Murder"

Wandered Near Stalking Reporter With Weapons Before the Crime

Police Launch Special Public Safety Measures to Ease Public Anxiety

The Gwangju Metropolitan Police are investigating after evidence emerged that the perpetrator of the high school girl murder in downtown Gwangju had attempted to kill a woman who had previously reported him for stalking. In response, the Gwangju Metropolitan Police Agency announced that it will conduct special public safety activities focusing on densely populated areas until June 3 to alleviate public anxiety.

According to Gwangsan Police Station in Gwangju on May 12, police have identified evidence of premeditation through additional investigation into the actions of Jang (24), who has been detained on charges of murder and attempted murder. The investigation revealed that around 8 p.m. on May 3, just after foreign woman A reported Jang to police for stalking, he wandered around her residence carrying two weapons.

On the morning of the 7th, Jang Mo, the suspect in the "random killing" case, arrived at the Gwangju District Court in Dong-gu, Gwangju, to undergo a pre-trial detention hearing. Photo by Yonhap News

On the following day, May 4, A filed a complaint against Jang for stalking and sexual offenses. Police are leaving open the possibility that Jang meticulously planned the crime, given that he purchased the weapons before the report was filed. They are currently investigating whether to add the charge of "preparation for murder" in addition to the existing charges, based on a comprehensive review of his actions and the collected evidence.

Previously, on Children's Day, May 5, at approximately 12:10 a.m., Jang allegedly murdered a 17-year-old female high school sophomore, referred to as A, with a weapon while she was on her way home on a road near a university in Wolgye-dong, Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju. He is also accused of seriously injuring another 17-year-old male, referred to as B, who rushed to the scene after hearing her screams. Jang is currently under investigation in detention.

Meanwhile, in response to heightened public anxiety following this incident, the Gwangju Metropolitan Police Agency announced that it will conduct special public safety activities focusing on densely populated and crime-prone areas in Gwangsan-gu and other regions until June 3.

On this day, the Gwangju police held a crime prevention and response strategy meeting and agreed to strengthen visible patrols in areas such as school routes, parks, and educational districts, in cooperation with local police, the Metropolitan Preventive Patrol Unit, and community crime prevention groups. In particular, given that the suspect committed a violent crime after being reported for suspected stalking, the police plan to significantly reinforce management of high-risk groups for relational crimes such as stalking and to intensively inspect their response system for weapon-related violent crimes.

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