Gangnam Abduction and Murder Suspects Trio Arrested on Charges of Evidence Tampering and Flight Risk

by Kong Byeongseon

Published 03 Apr.2023 18:09(KST)

A trio accused of kidnapping and murdering a woman in her 40s in the Gangnam district of Seoul has been arrested.

Three suspects in their 40s involved in the kidnapping and murder of a woman in her 40s in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, are 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.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 3rd, Yoo Chang-hoon, the presiding judge in charge of warrants at the Seoul Central District Court, conducted a pre-arrest suspect interrogation (warrant hearing) for Lee (legal office employee, 35), Hwang (liquor company employee, 36), and Yeon (30), who are charged with robbery-murder and corpse abandonment, and subsequently issued arrest warrants. Judge Yoo explained the reason for issuing the arrest warrants, stating, "There is a risk of evidence destruction and flight."

They are suspected of kidnapping and murdering a woman in her 40s, identified as Ms. A. It was investigated that on the 29th of last month, at around 11:46 p.m., Hwang and Yeon kidnapped Ms. A in front of an apartment complex in Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, and immediately murdered her. Lee did not directly participate in the murder process but is known to have instigated the crime.

Hwang and Yeon killed Ms. A and abandoned the body in a mountain near Daecheong Dam in Daejeon. There were no external injuries on the corpse, suggesting death by suffocation. A syringe containing anesthetic components was found in the vehicle used for the crime. A police official stated, "We are investigating whether the syringe was used in the crime."

The police consider this a planned crime. During the investigation, Yeon testified that they had been preparing for the crime for 2 to 3 months. It was also investigated that not only Hwang but another accomplice, a man in his 20s named B (unemployed), had followed the victim together. However, B withdrew from the crime in mid-last month. The police have booked B on charges of attempted murder.

The police are investigating the specific motive for the crime. It is known that Hwang and Yeon testified that they accepted Lee's conspiracy to murder for financial gain. Lee denies the conspiracy to commit the crime itself. However, Lee told the police that he had suffered an investment loss of about 80 million won from a cryptocurrency investment company where the victim used to work. Additionally, it was investigated that Lee once requested about 20 million won from the victim while briefly working at the cryptocurrency investment company.

The police are investigating whether there are additional accomplices and whether the victim's family is related to this case.