Ichunjae, Witness Appearance at the 8th Case Retrial Hearing Today
Lee Chun-jae (56), who was selected as a witness for the retrial of the 8th case in the "Lee Chun-jae Serial Murder Case," appeared in court on the afternoon of the 2nd. The photo shows Lee Chun-jae attending court to testify. Photo by Yonhap News
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suwan] Park Junyoung, the lawyer handling the retrial petition of Yoon Seongyeo (53), who was arrested as the perpetrator of the 8th case in the 'Lee Choonjae Serial Murder Case' and served 20 years in prison, said to Lee Choonjae, "I really want to hear how you ended up becoming a serial killer."
In an interview with CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyunjung's News Show' on the 2nd, Lawyer Park said, "I want to properly hear about the sadistic methods of the crimes and the strange behaviors of mutilating the corpses."
Regarding the reason why Lee Choonjae's face was not allowed to be revealed, Lawyer Park explained, "Since Lee Choonjae is a witness, not a suspect or defendant, there was no legal basis for disclosing his face." Earlier, the court denied filming on the 26th of last month during the trial, stating that Lee Choonjae was only a witness, not a defendant.
He continued, "Although this time he is attending as a witness for the 8th case, it is necessary to hear about other cases committed by Lee Choonjae," adding, "Especially in cases like the disappearance of an elementary school student, among the various crimes committed by Lee Choonjae, the bodies were never found."
He also said, "Despite announcements about the police's concealment of corpses at the time, all of this is being denied," and added, "So, I want to hear from Lee Choonjae about the circumstances of the incidents at that time and the items found when the kidnapping occurred."
He mentioned that the parents of the victim in the 8th case passed away without even being able to file a death report, emphasizing, "I think (Lee Choonjae's confession) is the only duty he can fulfill for our society."
Finally, Lawyer Park said, "After Lee Choonjae's testimony, we plan to immediately ask a forensic expert whether there are any forensic issues in Lee Choonjae's testimony," and added, "There is one more trial left, which includes the defendant's own questioning, the prosecution's statements, and the final arguments."
Meanwhile, Lee Choonjae, the suspect who confessed to the 'Lee Choonjae Serial Murder Case,' stood trial for the first time 34 years after the first incident occurred.
At the Suwon District Court Criminal Division 12 (Chief Judge Park Jeongje), Lee Choonjae appeared in court as a witness requested by both the prosecution and defense during the 9th hearing of the retrial for the 8th case held that day.
The witness examination is expected to last nearly two hours each by the defense and prosecution. Including breaks, the trial is expected to continue until around 6 p.m. that day.
The 8th case of Lee Choonjae occurred on September 16, 1988, in Jinan-ri, Taean-eup, Hwaseong-gun, Gyeonggi Province, where Park (then 13 years old, a middle school student) was found dead after being sexually assaulted.
The following year, Yoon was arrested as the perpetrator and sentenced to life imprisonment in the first trial. While appealing, he claimed, "I made a false confession due to police coercion," but the second and third trial courts all dismissed this.
Yoon was paroled in 2009 after serving 20 years in prison. After Lee Choonjae confessed to the crimes, Yoon filed for a retrial in court in November last year, and the court accepted it in January this year, deciding to commence the retrial.
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