3 PM at Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency for Personal Information Disclosure Review Committee
Decision Expected Possibly on the Same Day
[Asia Economy Reporter Song Seung-yoon] The decision on whether to disclose the identity of a man in his 20s, Mr. A, who is accused of murdering three women from the same family in an apartment in Nowon-gu, Seoul, is expected to be made as early as the 5th.
The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency will hold a personal information disclosure review committee meeting at 3 p.m. on the same day at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency in Naejadong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, to deliberate on whether to disclose Mr. A's identity. The committee, composed of seven members including external experts, will comprehensively consider the evidence of the crime and the extent of the damage to decide on the disclosure of Mr. A's personal information.
According to the current Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Specific Violent Crimes, personal information disclosure is possible after a review committee decision when the crime method is cruel or when the victim's crime is sufficiently proven. It also considers whether the disclosure aligns with the public interest, such as guaranteeing the public's right to know and preventing recidivism and crime by the suspect.
The disclosure of personal information is expected to be carried out by distributing the suspect's past photos, name, and date of birth to the media or by not covering the suspect's face during the process of being sent to the prosecution or moving for investigation.
The decision on personal information disclosure is expected to be made as early as the same day or within a few days at the latest. Looking at previous cases, it is highly likely that the disclosure will proceed without major issues. Previously, the identities of suspects in violent cases such as Ko Yoo-jung, who murdered her ex-husband; Ahn In-deuk, suspect in the Jinju apartment arson and murder case; Kim Seong-su, suspect in the PC bang murder case in Gangseo-gu, Seoul; Byun Gyeong-seok, suspect in the karaoke customer dismemberment murder case; Kim Seong-gwan, suspect in the family murder case in Yongin; and Lee Young-hak, known as the 'Tooth Father,' who sexually assaulted and murdered his middle school daughter's friend, were disclosed. Last year, the identities of suspects in the 'Nth Room case' were also disclosed one after another. Most of these cases were concluded on the day of the review.
Mr. A is accused of visiting an apartment in Junggye-dong, Nowon-gu, around 5:30 p.m. on the 23rd of last month and murdering three women from the same family. The police responded to a report on the 25th of the same month from an acquaintance of the victims stating, "I cannot contact my friend," but when they arrived at the scene, the three women were already deceased. When the police raided the scene, Mr. A attempted self-harm and was transported to a nearby hospital where he underwent surgery.
After completing surgery and recovering to a level where communication was possible, the police executed an arrest warrant for Mr. A on the 2nd and detained him at the police station.
In the first police investigation after his arrest, Mr. A reportedly admitted to the charges. He entered the house by impersonating a quick service delivery person and is believed to have first murdered the youngest daughter among the three women, then the mother and the eldest daughter in sequence. Mr. A stated that he committed the crime out of resentment because the eldest daughter, whom he met through an online game, refused to meet him.
Mr. A was detained after two days of investigation and was arrested the day before. The police deployed profilers to investigate the case and plan to conduct psychiatric evaluations and on-site verifications if necessary. Additionally, digital forensic work on mobile phones is underway to clarify the details of the crime. The prosecution is expected to take place within two weeks at the earliest.
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