[Comprehensive] "Suddenly Lost Control While Joking Around" Testimonies from Kim Taehyun's Acquaintances

Sudden Outbursts of Swearing and Anger Show Emotional Instability
Two Criminal Records from 2019 to Last Year
Police Deploy Profilers to Understand Criminal Psychology
Plan to Assess Psychopathic Tendencies

Personal information of Kim Taehyun (born 1996), who is accused of murdering three women in an apartment in Nowon-gu last month / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Ju-hyung] Kim Tae-hyun (25), the suspect who murdered three women from the same family in an apartment in Nowon-gu, Seoul, was reported by acquaintances to have shown sudden anger and an inability to control his emotions during his school days.

According to 'Yonhap News' on the 6th, A, a classmate of Kim Tae-hyun during his school years, said about Kim Tae-hyun, "He was a kind friend, but he would curse and get angry even while joking around," adding, "That part was scary."

He also added, "He was a gentle student, but there were moments when I felt, 'Why does his eyes go wild at this point?'"

Another acquaintance, B, testified that Kim Tae-hyun would get angry when things did not go his way even while playing games with friends, showing signs that appeared to be related to anger management disorder.

It was also confirmed that Kim Tae-hyun had two prior sexual offense records. In November 2019, he was charged with intrusion into a multi-use facility for sexual purposes under the Special Act on Sexual Violence, and in June last year, he was charged with causing anxiety under the Information and Communications Network Act.

Amid these circumstances, the police deployed a profiler on the 6th and began investigating by directly interviewing Kim Tae-hyun.

The profiler plans to understand Kim Tae-hyun's criminal psychology, analyze environmental factors such as his upbringing, and review the circumstances before and after the crime. The police also intend to assess whether Kim Tae-hyun exhibits psychopathic tendencies through this interview.

The apartment site in Nowon-gu where the mother and her three daughters were murdered on the 26th of last month. / Photo by Yonhap News TV capture

Meanwhile, the three victims, a mother and her two daughters, were found around 9 p.m. on the 25th of last month in an apartment in Nowon-gu. Kim Tae-hyun was found at the scene with serious injuries after attempting self-harm. He was then transported to a nearby hospital for treatment and is currently under police investigation.

Kim Tae-hyun is suspected of breaking into the apartment disguised as a delivery worker two days before the victims were found, on the 23rd of last month, and murdering the three women. According to multiple media reports, Kim Tae-hyun sequentially killed the younger sister, the mother, and the eldest daughter, C.

It is reported that Kim Tae-hyun met C through online gaming. After unilaterally demanding a relationship with C and being rejected, he harbored resentment and committed the crime.

During this process, Kim Tae-hyun is also said to have stalked C. According to testimonies from C's acquaintances, Kim Tae-hyun habitually stalked and harassed C since January. Due to his persistent stalking, C changed her phone number and even took longer routes home.

After committing the crime on the 23rd of last month, Kim Tae-hyun remained at the scene and exhibited bizarre behavior such as eating meals and drinking alcohol. Before attempting self-harm, he also showed calculated behavior by deleting messages from his phone messenger, attempting to destroy evidence.