[Report] "Ichunjae, Apologize" Serial Killer, Will He Speak to the Bereaved? [Han Seunggon's Case Notebook]

"Serial Killer" Lee Chun-jae's Hometown Hwaseong Residents Unite: "He Must Apologize to the Victims"
Lee Chun-jae, Witness in the Retrial of Mr. Yoon, Wrongfully Imprisoned in the '8th Case'
Will He Appear in Court to Apologize to Mr. Yoon Directly?

The area around Jinan-dong, Taean-eup, Hwaseong City. The high-rise apartments visible in the distance were once rice paddies and fields. This area is the hometown of Lee Chun-jae, and on the afternoon of the 2nd, residents met here to demand an apology to the bereaved families along with Lee Chun-jae's death penalty. The photo is unrelated to the Lee Chun-jae serial murder case. Photo by Seunggon Han hsg@asiae.co.kr

[Hwaseong=Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] "They should formally apologize to the bereaved families. How could someone kill people like that..."

The reinvestigation of the Lee Chun-jae (57) serial murder case, one of the worst violent crimes and long-unsolved cases in history that occurred over 30 years ago, has been concluded. The police concluded that Lee Chun-jae committed 14 murders and 9 rapes. They also officially apologized to innocent citizens who suffered due to the wrongful investigations by judicial authorities at the time.

On the 2nd, Bae Yong-joo, Chief of the Gyeonggi Southern Provincial Police Agency, announced the investigation results of the Lee Chun-jae case, saying, "I pray for the souls of the victims who were brutally harmed by Lee Chun-jae’s crimes and offer my deepest condolences to the bereaved families," bowing his head in apology.

He added, "We apologize to the person who was wrongfully imprisoned for 20 years as a suspect and his family, as well as to all those who suffered due to the excessive investigations by the police at the time."

In response to this police apology, residents met in front of an apartment complex in Jinan-ri, Taean-eup, Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi Province, known as Lee Chun-jae’s hometown, raised their voices saying that Lee Chun-jae himself should also apologize.

This apartment was where Lee Chun-jae’s biological mother lived, and relatives of Lee Chun-jae still reside in the Jinan-dong area.

At an intersection that day, a man in his 70s, Mr. Park, said, "Not only Lee Chun-jae but also his family should come out, kneel down, and apologize to the victims." He continued, "Compensation from the government alone does not solve everything," and expressed his anger, saying, "People were killed, so even an apology is not enough."

Another resident in his 40s, Mr. Kim, nearby emphasized, "I think an apology is the most important thing." He added, "I don’t know if the bereaved families will forgive just because of an apology, but they must bow their heads and sincerely ask for forgiveness."

Yoon Mo, who was identified as the culprit in the "Lee Chun-jae Serial Murder Case No. 8" and served 20 years in prison, is entering the Suwon District Court in Hadong, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do on the morning of May 19 to attend the first retrial hearing. [Image source=Yonhap News]

The victim whom the residents unanimously say must receive an apology is Mr. Yoon (53), who was wrongfully accused and imprisoned for the '8th case.' He finally received an apology from the police 32 years later after the full truth of the Lee Chun-jae serial murder case was revealed.

On September 16, 1988, Yoon, then a 22-year-old agricultural machinery repairman, was sentenced to life imprisonment for allegedly murdering a 13-year-old girl, Ms. Park, at a house in Jinan-ri, Taean-eup, Hwaseong-gun (now Hwaseong-si). Yoon immediately appealed, but all appeals were dismissed. After serving 20 years in prison, he was paroled in 2009 at the age of 42.

Yoon’s wrongful accusation was finally cleared in September 2019 when Lee Chun-jae’s identity was revealed. It was found that Lee committed 14 murders and 9 rapes, including the 8th case, between September 1986 and April 1991.

Yoon’s side filed for a retrial at the Suwon District Court last year, and the prosecution also acknowledged the need for a retrial, submitting a petition to the court, which led to the retrial.

Lee Chun-jae's school days 모습 [Photo by Yonhap News]

Before submitting the retrial petition, Yoon’s lawyer held a press conference on November 13 at the Gyeonggi Regional Central Bar Association building, explaining the significance of the retrial request: "I hope this retrial process will not merely be about predicting victory or defeat but will serve as an opportunity to reflect on why no one?police, prosecution, the National Forensic Service, the judiciary, or the media?raised reasonable doubts during the case proceedings."

Attorney Park Jun-young said, "Through the retrial request, we must prove Yoon’s innocence after 20 years of wrongful imprisonment and create an opportunity to correct judicial practices. Principles such as human rights investigations, scientific investigation standards, presumption of innocence, and evidence-based trials need to be clarified and improved, and I hope this will lead to a relaxation of the strictness of retrials."

Residents emphasized that for these reasons, sincere apologies from judicial authorities who committed various illegal acts?such as arresting innocent citizens, beating, and assaulting them during the investigation of the case, including Lee Chun-jae?are absolutely necessary.

Mr. Kim, a resident in his 50s, said, "Even as time passes, victims and their families live in pain every day. We feel heartbroken, so imagine how much more the victims must suffer. It’s late, but I hope those who caused wrongful imprisonment come forward and apologize now."

Meanwhile, the retrial court expressed its position on Yoon’s case earlier in February. Former Chief Judge Kim Byung-chan of the Suwon District Court Criminal Division 12 apologized to Yoon on behalf of the judiciary during the first preparatory hearing held on February 6 after accepting Yoon’s retrial petition.

Judge Kim said, "Yoon was wrongfully tried and detained for a long time. As a judge working in the court, I feel deeply sorry."

He added, "The prosecution is submitting records with the belief that Yoon is innocent, and if the defense does not raise any objections, the possibility of an acquittal is very high."

As a result of the police reinvestigation, it was revealed that Lee Chun-jae (57) was responsible for a series of murders in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, with the number of victims reaching 14. The motive for the crimes was the satisfaction of sexual desires, and he was investigated to have clear psychopathic tendencies. [Image source=Yonhap News]

As residents continue to voice their condemnation, there is also a possibility that Lee Chun-jae himself may express an apology to Yoon, the victim of judicial damage in the 8th case. Yoon’s legal team has requested Lee Chun-jae as a witness for the retrial, allowing Lee to appear in court and share his thoughts.

Attorney Park, handling Yoon’s retrial, explained in a radio interview the reason for requesting Lee as a witness: "I hope we can ask in court why this person became a serial killer. I want the public to understand the process and causes that led to the emergence of such a demon and think about what we need to change to prevent serial killers from appearing."

He added, "Although the elementary school student disappearance case among other crimes committed by Lee is not part of the retrial, I hope we can ask some questions in court to help the bereaved families. Regarding the retrial results of the 8th case, the judge is expediting the review by designating special hearing dates, and a conclusion is expected by December this year or January next year."

According to the police, Lee Chun-jae did not feel remorse even after committing brutal murders. Especially as the murders continued, they escalated into serial killings, and the methods became increasingly cruel and sadistic.

A psychopathy test conducted by the police showed that "the subject shows clear psychopathic tendencies, such as a complete lack of empathy for the pain and suffering of the victims."

The police plan to continue investigating for additional crimes even after transferring the case to the prosecution, beyond the cases Lee Chun-jae has confessed to. However, prosecution for all charges is impossible due to the expiration of the statute of limitations.