Suspect allegedly planned killing

Home > National > Social Affairs

print dictionary print

Suspect allegedly planned killing

Police said Friday that the man alleged to have abducted a woman in Asan, South Chungcheong, as bait in order to lure and kill another woman appeared to have been plotting the murder for months, a possible scenario that could put him one step closer to a death sentence if proven true.

On Friday, officers from Seongdong Police Precinct said in their latest interim report that 48-year-old Kim Il-gon had meticulously planned out the murder of a noraebang (karaoke room) hostess, whom authorities only identified as “K,” and that he planned to kidnap another woman.

The most recent charge for conspiracy to murder is just one of a barrage of charges brought against the suspect, including robbery and murder, mutilation of a corpse, motor vehicle arson and attempted burglary.

Kim stands accused of having abducted his victim, a 35-year-old woman only identified by her surname Joo, at knife point on Sept. 8, as she got into her car in the parking lot of a mall in Asan. After she attempted to escape, he is alleged to have strangled her.

Kim confessed to stabbing her in the stomach and neck several times in a rage after he failed to enact his revenge on K.

The suspect was arrested Sept. 17 after he entered a veterinary clinic in Seoul and threatened the nurse with a knife, demanding drugs used to euthanize animals. After a veterinarian and another nurse called the police, Kim fled but was later found nearby by police. Joo’s mutilated body was discovered in the trunk, along with unexploded butane cartridges.

Police said Friday Kim was planning to enact revenge on K and commit suicide by taking the drugs. An autopsy on Joo revealed that she suffocated to death.

The relationship between Kim and K dates back to early May, when the two were involved in a minor traffic collision in Yeongdeungpo District, western Seoul. Kim was slapped with a 500,000 won ($426) fine but denied he was at fault, showing up at the woman’s house and workplace seven times afterward to assert that she should pay for damages instead.

Police said Kim was scheming to have the victim call K to express interest in a job, and then lure K into a remote alley.

BY LEE SUNG-EUN, HAN YOUNG-IK [lee.sungeun@joongang.co.kr]
Log in to Twitter or Facebook account to connect
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
help-image Social comment?
s
lock icon

To write comments, please log in to one of the accounts.

Standards Board Policy (0/250자)