Gangnam Kidnapping and Murder, Crime Planned by 3 to Seize Cryptocurrency... (Comprehensive Report 2)

Only 2 Involved in Actual Murder... 1 Person 'Selected Target and Provided Crime Tools'

It has been confirmed that the three individuals who committed the kidnapping and murder incident in a residential area of Gangnam, Seoul, on the 29th of last month admitted that it was a premeditated crime motivated by financial gain.

A man in his 30s suspected of kidnapping, murdering, and abandoning a woman was urgently arrested. On the afternoon of the 31st of last month, police investigators are seen loading equipment near Daecheong Lake in Daedeok-gu, Daejeon, where the abandoned body was found.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

At a briefing on the 1st, the Seoul Suseo Police Station stated, "One of the suspects testified that the crime was committed with the intention of seizing the victim's coins," adding, "We are investigating on the premise that the suspects selected the victim as the target in advance, followed the victim for 2 to 3 months, and prepared the tools for the crime." However, it has not been confirmed whether the coins owned by the victim were worth 5 billion won.

The suspects were urgently arrested on the 31st on charges of kidnapping the female victim in front of an apartment in Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, at around 11:48 p.m. on the 29th of last month, murdering her near Daejeon, and disposing of the body (murder, corpse disposal). Regarding the considerable time taken to apprehend the suspects, the police explained, "It appears to be a premeditated planned crime, as they used burner phones and cash only, frequently moved, and clearly intended to evade the investigation team." They added, "Believing the victim's safety was a matter of utmost urgency, we focused more on finding the victim than on apprehending the suspects."

Two of the suspects actually participated in the murder, while the remaining one is considered by the police to be a co-conspirator. It is known that one of them designated the victim as the target and then proposed the crime to another. Accordingly, two suspects kidnapped the victim by vehicle, murdered her, and secretly buried the body, while the one who designated the victim is reported to have provided the tools for the crime.

According to the police, the victim has been identified as a woman in her mid-40s. After selecting the target, the suspects reportedly waited near the victim’s office around 4 p.m. on the day of the incident, the 29th of last month, and followed the victim when she left work around 7 p.m. to kidnap her.

Bloodstains, a rubber hammer, blue tape, and syringes were found in the vehicle used by the suspects during the crime.

The police are also investigating whether this was a contract killing. One of the suspects testified that they participated in the crime on the condition that about 36 million won of their debt would be paid off, but the police said they will verify how much was actually received at a later date.

Meanwhile, regarding suspicions that the highest-level dispatch alert, 'Code Zero' (Code 0), was issued only about nine hours after the 112 emergency call was made, the police stated, "Code Zero was issued immediately upon receipt of the report."