Man Who Confessed After Cutting Electronic Ankle Bracelet and Serial Murders, 14-Time Offender with First Prison Sentence at 17 Years Old

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] A man in his 50s accused of killing two women around the time he cut off his location tracking electronic device (electronic anklet) and fled has been confirmed to have received his first prison sentence for violent crimes since his teenage years and has been incarcerated multiple times since then.

On the afternoon of the 29th, the Ministry of Justice announced that Kang Mo (56), who was urgently arrested that day on charges including murder and violation of the Electronic Monitoring Act, was first sentenced to prison at age 17 for special theft and was punished a total of 14 times for crimes including robbery-rape and robbery-injury. Kang has a total of 8 prison sentences served in detention centers and prisons, and 2 records of sexual violence.

Previously, in October 1996, Kang dragged a woman in her 30s walking down the street to a secluded area, assaulted her, took her valuables, and sexually assaulted her, receiving a 5-year prison sentence and protective custody. In September 2005, just five months after his release, he threatened a woman in her 20s with a weapon in a car, took her valuables, and sexually harassed her, resulting in a 15-year prison sentence.

After completing his sentence, he was under re-execution of protective custody starting October last year, but was released from Cheonan Prison on May 6 and was ordered to wear an electronic anklet. Protective custody was a system that sentenced those at high risk of reoffending to be held in protective custody facilities for up to 7 years to prevent recidivism, but it was abolished in 2005 amid criticism of "double punishment and human rights violations."

However, Kang, who was released, cut off his electronic anklet and fled on the 27th on a street in Sincheon-dong, Songpa-gu. On that day, Kang confessed to the police that he killed one person before fleeing and another during his escape. It is reported that he surrendered because he thought the crime would soon be discovered and he would be caught by the police. Kang is confirmed not to be subject to public disclosure of personal information.

The Ministry of Justice stated, "It appears that the court did not issue an order to disclose personal information along with the electronic monitoring order," and added, "We extend our deepest condolences to the victims and their families. We will establish thorough measures to prevent recidivism among high-risk electronic monitoring subjects in the future."

Meanwhile, according to Ministry of Justice statistics, as of last month, the total number of people wearing electronic anklets is 8,166. Among them, 11 people (0.13%) damaged their electronic anklets, and 2 of them have been apprehended.