Serial murder suspect again disrupts court proceedings

The murder trial of confessed serial killer Yoo Yeong-cheol continued amid yet another act of defiance by the defendant during emotionally charged proceedings yesterday.
As Mr. Yoo, 34, entered the Seoul District Court yesterday, a spectator in the courtroom cursed him.
Mr. Yoo, visibly upset, tried to attack the spectator, starting a fracas that required the assistance of 10 guards to break up. In the process, two wooden chairs in the defendant’s corner were damaged.
Later, Mr. Yoo was brought back into the courtroom, but only after signing a written statement that said, “I will not cause any further commotion.”
Mr. Yoo, 34, was arrested in July for the murders of more than 20 persons. He was quoted by the police as having said that the reason for the murders was because “I hate the rich and prostitutes,” some of whom were among his victims.
Two earlier hearings for Mr. Yoo were interrupted by his courtroom oubursts and refusal to attend the court sessions. Last month, he protested against his forced appearance in the court by jumping the courtroom bar and charging the judge’s bench.
Yesterday, he told the court, “It is really agonizing for me to be alive. I do not think I killed human beings.”
During the hearing, Mr. Yoo ― who has admitted to 21 murders ― faced the families of some of his victims and said, “They were not normal women. They deserved to be caught by me.”
Two more hearings are expected before a verdict is announced.

by Chun In-sung, Min Seong-jae