Case typifies an increase in impulsive murderers
Published: 07 Oct. 2009, 08:16
Judge Kim Ki-jeong at the Seoul Central District Court sentenced a suspected murderer surnamed Kim, 33, to 12 years in prison yesterday on charges of murdering a stranger after chasing the victim to a house. It was one of a growing number of apparently impulsive rage crimes here.
According to the Korean Institute of Criminology, between 1997 and 2006, 30.8 percent of all murders were impulsive, the highest number for any murder category. And the rate is increasing. Murder triggered by impulse rose from 27.6 percent of all murders in 2001 to 36.9 percent in 2006.
Testimony in the Kim case showed that he was drunk and waiting for his girlfriend in front of exit 8 at Sadang subway station in southern Seoul at 7:30 p.m. last May 9. Another person surnamed Ahn, 56, was also waiting near Kim and was upset by the way Kim was starring at him.
The two argued for about 20 minutes before Kim’s girlfriend and Ahn’s companions arrived and separated the two. But Kim did not let the incident die. He followed Ahn to a restaurant and a bar, then changed into black clothes and donned a cap. Then he allegedly carried a sushi knife wrapped in a newspaper. When Ahn arrived at his house in Namhyeon-dong, southern Seoul, around 11 p.m., Kim punched Ahn and then stabbed him to death.
“A suspect followed after the victim persistently for about three hours and 30 minutes. The means and method of the criminal act are very cruel,” said Judge Kim. “We cannot accept that the reason for killing was due to the victim’s cursing.”
Unlike many other criminals who commit murder after a poor family background and unfortunate early life, Kim grew up in a wealthy family.
“Impulsive murder cases are closely related to the mental condition of the offenders. They have long waited for a moment to put their thoughts into action after becoming angry,” said Park Hyung-min, a scholar at the Korean Institute of Criminology. “Killing people you have no relationship with is a kind of hate crime and it could lead to an indiscriminate massacre.”
“It would be good to analyze whether people with mental disorders have increased and not just that impulsive murders have done so,” said Pyo Chang-won, criminal psychology professor at the Korea National Police University.
By Park Sung-woo, Park Yu-mi [[email protected]]
According to the Korean Institute of Criminology, between 1997 and 2006, 30.8 percent of all murders were impulsive, the highest number for any murder category. And the rate is increasing. Murder triggered by impulse rose from 27.6 percent of all murders in 2001 to 36.9 percent in 2006.
Testimony in the Kim case showed that he was drunk and waiting for his girlfriend in front of exit 8 at Sadang subway station in southern Seoul at 7:30 p.m. last May 9. Another person surnamed Ahn, 56, was also waiting near Kim and was upset by the way Kim was starring at him.
The two argued for about 20 minutes before Kim’s girlfriend and Ahn’s companions arrived and separated the two. But Kim did not let the incident die. He followed Ahn to a restaurant and a bar, then changed into black clothes and donned a cap. Then he allegedly carried a sushi knife wrapped in a newspaper. When Ahn arrived at his house in Namhyeon-dong, southern Seoul, around 11 p.m., Kim punched Ahn and then stabbed him to death.
“A suspect followed after the victim persistently for about three hours and 30 minutes. The means and method of the criminal act are very cruel,” said Judge Kim. “We cannot accept that the reason for killing was due to the victim’s cursing.”
Unlike many other criminals who commit murder after a poor family background and unfortunate early life, Kim grew up in a wealthy family.
“Impulsive murder cases are closely related to the mental condition of the offenders. They have long waited for a moment to put their thoughts into action after becoming angry,” said Park Hyung-min, a scholar at the Korean Institute of Criminology. “Killing people you have no relationship with is a kind of hate crime and it could lead to an indiscriminate massacre.”
“It would be good to analyze whether people with mental disorders have increased and not just that impulsive murders have done so,” said Pyo Chang-won, criminal psychology professor at the Korea National Police University.
By Park Sung-woo, Park Yu-mi [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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