Man murders mother-in-law to be

An unemployed 25-year-old man was arrested Saturday for the murder of his girlfriend’s mother and holding the girlfriend hostage in her Seoul house for 10 hours.

The man, surnamed Park, visited his girlfriend’s house in Jungnang, Seoul, around 4 p.m. last Friday to talk to her parents, who opposed their marriage, police said on Saturday. Park identified himself as a deliveryman to gain entry to the house. But when he encountered his girlfriend’s mother, surnamed Song, she tried to get him to leave. Park stabbed Song in the right arm with a 24 centimeter (9.4 inches) knife he brought with him.

Police said Park also brought a pair of handcuffs. Both the handcuffs and knife were purchased online.

Song died from loss of blood within five minutes, according to a medical examiner. After hearing screams from the house, neighbors called police, who arrived on the scene around 4:15 p.m.

Park dragged Song’s corpse into a bedroom and held his girlfriend, Kim, hostage for 10 hours. Police, firefighters and Special Forces units negotiated with Park via telephone.

During 70 phone calls, Park kept asking for time to talk with his girlfriend, police said. He also threatened to kill Kim and himself if the police forced their way in. In the end, Kim managed to convince Park to surrender by telling him “she would die with him if he killed himself,” and granting his request for her to make him a meal. “Park said he wanted to go to the beach and the Han River with his girlfriend because it was their 300-day anniversary that night,” said police.

According to police, Park was cooperative in his interrogation over the weekend, and said he “wished Kim’s mother had gone to a good place.”

By Christine Kim [christine.kim@joongang.co.kr]