Personal Information of Army Officer in 'Bukhangang Corpse Abandonment' to Be Released on the 13th

Court Dismisses Application for Provisional Injunction to Stay Execution

The personal information of active-duty Army officer A (38), who murdered a female civilian military worker colleague, mutilated the body, and abandoned it in the Bukhan River in Hwacheon-gun, Gangwon Province, is set to be disclosed. Previously, the suspect opposed the police's decision to disclose his personal information and filed a provisional injunction to suspend the execution, but the court dismissed it.

On the 11th, the Chuncheon District Court dismissed A's provisional injunction request to suspend the execution of the personal information disclosure order against the Gangwon Provincial Police Agency. The court explained the reason for dismissal, stating, "There is no concern about irreparable damage." Accordingly, the police plan to disclose A's personal information around the 13th, the day after the disclosure grace period (8th to 12th) ends.

On the 6th, a field verification is being conducted regarding active-duty military officer A (38), who murdered a female civilian employee he worked with at the Bukhan River in Hwacheon-gun, Gangwon Province, dismembered the body, and abandoned it in the Bukhan River. Photo by Yonhap News.

Earlier, on the 7th, the Gangwon Provincial Police Agency held a Personal Information Disclosure Deliberation Committee meeting and decided to disclose A's name, age, photo, and other details. The committee judged that the disclosure requirements were met, including △ the brutality of the crime method △ significant damage △ sufficient grounds to believe a crime was committed △ the public's right to know △ and public interest.

Since the personal information disclosure system was introduced in 2010, this is the first case where a suspect with military status has been subject to deliberation. However, the disclosure of A's personal information was previously postponed due to his filing of a provisional injunction.

A is accused of killing victim B (33) after a quarrel around 3 p.m. on the 25th of last month in his vehicle in the unit parking lot, mutilating the body, and then abandoning it in the Bukhan River in Hwacheon around 9:40 p.m. the following day.

Investigations revealed that A is a lieutenant colonel (Jin) belonging to the Cyber Operations Command of the Republic of Korea Army located in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, and was transferred to a subordinate unit in Songpa-gu, Seoul, on the 28th of last month. B was a fixed-term civilian military worker serving in the same unit.

The police involved profilers (criminal analysts) in the investigation to objectively clarify A's motive and analyzed his criminal behavior. They also decrypted and analyzed the mobile phone seized from A.