Ichunjae "I am the real culprit" admits to being the true perpetrator in retrial of the '8th case'
Yoon Seong-yeo, wrongfully imprisoned for 20 years... "Compensate adequately" public opinion
Experts say "No special measures beyond fixed compensation expected"
On the afternoon of the 2nd, Yoon Sung-yeo, the petitioner for retrial, appeared at the 9th hearing of the 8th case retrial of the 'Lee Chun-jae Serial Murders' held at the Suwon District Court in Yeongtong-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do, and responded to questions from the press. Photo by Yonhap News Agency
[Asia Economy reporters Han Seung-gon and Kim Young-eun] Lee Chun-jae (56), the true culprit of the "Lee Chun-jae serial murder case," appeared as a witness on the 2nd at the retrial for the "8th case" and testified that he committed 14 serial murders. Attention is focused on the compensation and related measures that Yoon Sung-yeo (53), who was wrongfully imprisoned for 20 years, will receive. It is expected that if he files a claim for damages against the state, he will receive about 2 billion KRW in compensation, but there is also public opinion that broader compensation, including more than that amount, should be provided.
The "serial killer" Lee Chun-jae murdered 14 women between 1986 and 1991 in Gyeonggi Province and Chungbuk. Among these, regarding the 8th murder case that occurred in September 1988 in Hwaseong City, Gyeonggi Province, the police at the time identified Yoon, who lived near the crime scene, as the suspect and conducted an investigation.
Yoon, who was wrongfully accused and sentenced to life imprisonment in the first trial, admitted to the charges in the first trial but denied the murder charges in the second trial, claiming, "The police beat me and subjected me to harsh treatment, forcing me to make a false confession." However, the second trial and the Supreme Court dismissed this, confirming Yoon's guilt.
Ultimately, Yoon, who served 20 years in prison, was released on parole in August 2009. Later, Lee Chun-jae was revealed as the true culprit of the serial murders that occurred in the Hwaseong area. As the "8th case" was also found to have been committed by Lee Chun-jae, Yoon filed for a retrial in November of that year.
This is the courtroom scene where Lee Chun-jae, selected as a witness for the retrial of the 8th serial murder case, appeared and testified on the 2nd. The photo on the mobile phone shows Lee Chun-jae. Photo by Yonhap News
On the afternoon of the 2nd, Lee Chun-jae appeared in court for the retrial of the 8th case held by the 11th Criminal Division of Suwon District Court (Presiding Judge Park Jung-je). He testified that he was the true culprit of the case. When Yoon's legal team asked if he was the true culprit of the 14 serial murder cases that occurred in Hwaseong and Cheongju, he said, "I am the true culprit," and added, "I apologize to Yoon, who suffered long-term imprisonment under wrongful accusations for the murders I committed."
After the trial, Yoon said, "Although it is late, I am grateful that Lee Chun-jae told the truth," and added, "I feel relieved and believe the trial will proceed well." However, he also said, "I am not 100% satisfied yet," and "Since the sentencing and final judgment hearings remain, the verdict of guilt or innocence will ultimately be decided after the sentencing."
If Yoon is finally declared innocent, he will be eligible to receive criminal compensation. Generally, criminal compensation is paid up to five times the minimum wage of the year the verdict is given. Having served 19 years and 6 months, applying five times this year's minimum wage for 8 hours a day, Yoon could receive approximately 1.76 billion KRW in criminal compensation.
However, there are opinions that mental compensation for the lost time should also be provided in addition to this minimum compensation. If Yoon files a claim for mental damages against the state, considering damages and interest on criminal compensation, it is reported that he could receive compensation ranging from 2 billion to a maximum of 4 billion KRW.
A company employee in his 40s, Mr. Lee, said, "Yoon Sung-yeo’s entire life seems to have disappeared," emphasizing, "It is right to have sufficient compensation for him as well as related measures for his old age." A 30-something office worker, Mr. Kim, added, "The pain experienced by Yoon and his family and acquaintances is unimaginable," and said, "I hope the scope of compensation will be considered as broadly as possible."
Experts predict that aside from the compensation determined by regulations, no special measures will be taken.
Professor Oh Yoon-sung of Soonchunhyang University’s Department of Police Administration said, "Unfortunately, regarding the time Yoon lost, only monetary compensation between 2 billion and 4 billion KRW can be made according to the Victim Compensation Act."
He added, "By appearing as a witness in the retrial and admitting his crimes, Lee Chun-jae has made it possible to correct the wrongful judgment of the past," but explained, "However, since the statute of limitations has already expired, it will be difficult to prosecute and punish him again for those crimes."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
