"I am a Murderer"?.. Criminals Writing Autobiographies in Prison

Many Cases of Prison Autobiographies Published by Kang Yoon-sung, Lee Young-hak, etc... Citizens 'Angry'
'KAL Plane Bombing' North Korean Agent Kim Hyun-hee Also Donated Royalties to Bereaved Families
Experts: "Humans Are Multifaceted... They May Have Reflected at the Time of Publication"
Possibility of Intent to Reduce Sentence or Improve Image

Kang Yoon-sung (56), who is accused of consecutively murdering two women before and after damaging an electronic tracking device (electronic anklet), is attending a warrant hearing held at the Seoul Eastern District Court on the 31st of last month.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] "What a waste of paper," "Where do they plan to spend the money earned by selling their family stories?"

It has been revealed that many criminals who committed brutal crimes that shocked society have published books while in prison. Citizens who heard the news expressed disbelief.

It was recently revealed that Kang Yoon-sung (56), who killed two women after cutting off his electronic monitoring device (ankle bracelet) immediately after his release, had published an essay expressing repentance while serving time in prison. According to a Channel A report on the 5th, Kang Yoon-sung, who was sentenced to 15 years in prison for sexual crimes, sent a letter to self-help author Kim in 2009 while incarcerated at Cheongsong Prison, requesting publication. In the letter, he pleaded, "My wife, who works in a restaurant, struggles to live moving between motel rooms with our son and daughter."

Author Kim agreed and compiled the handwritten manuscript received from Kang Yoon-sung, publishing the book in May 2010. Published under the pen name Kang Woo-young instead of his real name, the book contained expressions of love, remorse, and reflection toward his family, such as "Just thinking of the word family brings tears to my eyes," and "I want to die thinking that all my family's suffering stems from me."

However, it turned out that the first royalties Kang Yoon-sung received were deposited into the account of a woman with whom he exchanged letters while in prison. The woman's daughter was also not Kang Yoon-sung's child. According to author Kim, the book sold poorly at the time, with only 500 copies remaining out of the initial 2,000 copies after defective copies were discarded, and the contract ended one year after publication.

Lee Young-hak heading to the courtroom to attend the appellate trial sentencing on September 6, 2018.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Earlier, in 2018, it was reported that Lee Young-hak (39), known as the "Tooth Father," was writing an autobiography titled "I Am a Murderer" while in detention. Lee Young-hak was sentenced to life imprisonment for luring a middle school daughter's friend to his home on September 30, 2017, sexually assaulting her, and strangling her to death. Investigations revealed that Lee had operated a prostitution website in the past and even involved his wife in prostitution. He also squandered most of the 1.2 billion won raised under the pretense of treating his daughter's rare disease on his own entertainment expenses, as revealed in past broadcasts.

Lee Young-hak reportedly sent a letter to his daughter saying, "Dad is writing a book here, and if the publishing contract goes through, your uncle will send you to a house and academy," and "Wait just one year. We will get our revenge."

Citizens who heard about these criminals' publishing activities expressed anger. Office worker Park (27, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul) said, "It makes me angry because it seems like they want to earn royalties by publishing a book without reflecting on their crimes in prison," adding, "I wonder what kind of publishing company would publish books by people who committed serious crimes against society."

University student Choi (23, Seo-gu, Busan) also expressed outrage, saying, "It's ridiculous how they pretend to be pitiful and remorseful by selling their families," and "How would the victims and their families feel seeing these published books?"

There are many other criminals who have sought to publish books. Kim Hyun-hee, the KAL 858 flight bomber who killed 115 passengers and crew in November 1987, published "Now I Want to Become a Woman" in 1991, which included memories of her childhood and the process of being selected as a North Korean agent. She reportedly donated 850 million won in royalties earned from the book to the representatives of the KAL victims' families as an expression of apology and remorse.

Jo Yang-eun (71), the boss of the violent gang "Yang Eun faction," also published his autobiography "A Light Rising in the Darkness" after his release in 1995. He and his wife Kim So-young appeared in the film "Boss," which was based on the book, attracting attention.

Experts interpret this behavior as an expression of the multifaceted psychological state of humans. Professor Choi Jong-sul of Dong-Eui University’s Department of Police Administration explained, "Humans do not always maintain a consistent psychological state. Especially, psychology is influenced by the environment," adding, "While confined in prison where crime is impossible, they may repent and reflect, but when the environment changes after release or when anger is expressed, they can turn into vicious criminals."

He also suggested the possibility that the criminals' defense mechanisms were activated. Professor Choi pointed out, "They might have thought that writing an autobiography expressing remorse could help reduce their sentence, or it might have been intended to improve the image they present to other inmates and prison officers."