Continuous Lies Causing Division and Hostility
Monthly Extortion of Money Under the Name of 'Bangse'
A man in his 40s who 'gaslighted' (psychologically manipulated) an employee with an intellectual disability and ordered a murder has been brought to trial in custody.
On the 11th, the Criminal Division 3 of the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Seo Won-ik) announced that Jo (44) was indicted in custody on charges including murder instruction, violation of the Labor Standards Act, violation of the Minimum Wage Act, and quasi-fraud. Jo, who runs a motel, is accused of ordering Kim (33), a motel employee with a level 2 intellectual disability, to stab and kill the building owner Yoo (83) with a weapon on the rooftop of a building in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, on November 12 last year.
Jo, who leased and used the motel parking lot from Yoo, had a conflict with Yoo over redevelopment in the Yeongdeungpo area starting from September 2022 and harbored resentment against him. The conflict between the two escalated as Jo filed a lawsuit to terminate the parking lot lease and reclaim possession against Yoo.
Amid this conflict, it was confirmed that Jo continuously lied to sow discord between Kim and Yoo, causing strong hostility. Jo made Kim purchase a weapon, a mask, and a raincoat, and ordered him to kill Yoo after turning the direction of the closed-circuit television (CCTV) at the crime scene. Afterwards, Jo helped Kim escape and deleted the CCTV footage showing Kim’s escape route.
Jo denied the crime, claiming that he and Yoo were business partners with no reason to instruct a murder, and that Kim acted impulsively alone. However, the prosecution viewed that Jo psychologically controlled Kim to commit the crime. In fact, Jo exploited Kim’s labor by telling him, who had been wandering around four years ago, "I am someone who cares for you as your father and brother," while giving him a job. Kim managed the motel and parking lot for about 3 years and 4 months from July 2020 but did not receive any wages.
Although Kim lived in a simple facility for parking management, not in the motel, Jo extorted money from Kim under the pretext of 'motel rent.' It was confirmed that Jo collected 500,000 to 600,000 won monthly from Kim.
The prosecution applied for an arrest warrant for Jo, but the court dismissed it on November 15 last year. The arrest warrant re-applied by the police was rejected by the prosecution but was issued on the 13th of last month. Kim’s trial is scheduled to be held on the 16th at the Seoul Southern District Court.
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