"Sorry" One Word from the Gangnam Kidnapping and Murder Trio...Motive for the Murder Remains a Mystery (Comprehensive)

Suspects accused of kidnapping and murdering a woman in her 40s in the Gangnam district of Seoul responded with "I'm sorry" when asked about the motive for the murder. However, Lee Mo (35, legal office employee), identified as the 'key man,' remained silent throughout the investigation, leaving the motive shrouded in mystery.

Three suspects in their 40s involved in the kidnapping and murder of a woman in her 40s in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, are boarding a transport vehicle on the morning of the 3rd at Suseo Police Station in Seoul, heading to the Seoul Central District Court for a pre-arrest suspect interrogation (warrant hearing).
[Image source=Yonhap News]

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According to the police on the 3rd, Lee, who is charged with robbery-murder and corpse disposal, along with Hwang Mo (36, liquor store employee) and Yeon Mo (30), were transferred from the Suseo Police Station in Seoul to the Seoul Central District Court for a pre-arrest suspect interrogation (warrant hearing). The warrant hearing was scheduled to take place around 11 a.m. that day.

At around 9:35 a.m., Hwang, Yeon, and Lee appeared wearing dark hoodies with their faces covered, handcuffed together, and were escorted out. When reporters asked questions such as "Why did you kill if you were after money?" "Are there any other accomplices?" and "Do you have anything to say to the victim's family?" they remained silent and got into the transport vehicle. However, at around 10:05 a.m. in front of the courthouse, Hwang responded with "I'm sorry" when asked if he had anything to say to the victim's family. Yeon and Lee did not respond to reporters' questions in front of the court either.

Hwang and Yeon are accused of kidnapping a woman in her 40s, identified as Ms. A, at 11:46 p.m. on the 29th of last month and killing her the following day, while Lee is accused of instructing the crime. The victim was found dead in a mountain area near Daecheong Dam in Daejeon on the 31st of last month. It is known that they disposed of the body in the mountain area near Daecheong Dam immediately after the murder. There were no external injuries on the body, suggesting death by suffocation. The police are also investigating the possibility of poison. The police arrested Yeon at Moran Station in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province at 10:45 a.m. on the 31st, Hwang at a lodging facility in Sujeong-gu, Seongnam at 1:15 p.m. the same day, and Lee in Nonhyeon-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul at 5:40 p.m. the same day.

Among the three suspects in the abduction and murder of a woman in her 40s that occurred in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Lee Mo (35) is being transported by a police escort vehicle to the Seoul Central District Court on the morning of the 3rd for a pre-arrest suspect interrogation (warrant hearing) at the Suseo Police Station in Seoul.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

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The police are focusing on the possibility of a planned crime. Yeon testified during the investigation that the crime was prepared for financial gain. It is also reported that they had targeted the victim and prepared for the crime for 2 to 3 months prior. The crime was carried out swiftly. In front of the apartment complex in Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, where the victim lived, Hwang and Yeon assaulted the victim by grabbing her hair as soon as they saw her and forced her into a Veloster vehicle within a minute. They then headed straight to Daejeon. Upon arrival in Daejeon, Hwang and Yeon abandoned the Veloster and switched to a rental car. Lee did not participate in the direct killing process.

The reason for killing the victim immediately remains unclear. Although there was testimony about financial motives, it is known that they did not contact or threaten the victim’s family. Furthermore, Hwang and Yeon are believed to have killed the victim immediately after kidnapping her. During the police investigation, Hwang and Yeon stated that they had no prior acquaintance with the victim, drawing attention to the relationship between Lee and the victim.

However, Lee, identified as the key man, remained silent during the police investigation. Lee, who is known to have designated the victim as the target and instructed the murder, hired a lawyer and reportedly has not disclosed the specific relationship with the victim or the motive for the crime. Moreover, Lee is said to deny not only participating in the crime but also the charges themselves.

The police stated that they are focusing their investigation on the motive for the crime as well as the possibility of additional accomplices. They also plan to investigate whether the victim’s family is connected to this case.

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