The Two Faces of Yang Gwang-jun, Accused of 'Corpse Abandonment': "The Person Who Took Care of My Frostbitten Ear"

Person Review by YouTuber Who Was a Junior at Korea Military Academy Sparks Attention

After the personal information of active-duty Army Major Yang Gwang-jun (38, in custody), who murdered a female colleague he worked with and then mutilated the body before disposing of it in the Bukhan River in Hwacheon-gun, Gangwon Province, was released, a junior from the Korea Military Academy (KMA) expressed shock.

On the 13th, the YouTube channel 'Korea Sejin' community posted a lengthy message stating, "I found out who the perpetrator was shortly after the horrific incident was first reported. The shock was overwhelming after the personal information was disclosed." Kim Se-jin, who operates as the YouTuber ‘Korea Sejin,’ is a 67th class cadet of KMA and two classes junior to Yang Gwang-jun.

Gangwon Provincial Police Agency disclosed the personal information of active-duty military officer Yang Gwang-jun (38) on the 13th, who is accused of murdering a female civilian employee he worked with, mutilating the body, and disposing of it in the Bukhan River in Hwacheon County. Photo by Yonhap News

He shared a story about how Yang Gwang-jun took care of him during their time at KMA as second-year cadets. Korea Sejin said about Yang Gwang-jun, “He was a senior in the same company as me during our cadet days, and we endured hardships together for a year,” adding, “I especially remember when I was a second-year cadet preparing for a major event in severe cold weather, he covered and took care of my ears which had frostbite.”

He continued, “After four years of cadet life, each person's inherent nature inevitably reveals itself,” and “I remember him as a gentle and kind person who treated juniors warmly and got along well with his peers, so I was horrified when I saw this incident.”

Korea Sejin demanded disciplinary action against Yang Gwang-jun and called for his expulsion from the 65th class alumni association. He added, “This incident will be recorded not only as a social shock but also as one of the worst disgraces since the founding of KMA,” and “I hope he pays the appropriate price for the brutal crime he committed.” He also requested that the KMA alumni association and the Memorial Tower expel him.

Post by Korea Sejin. Screenshot from YouTube 'Korea Sejin'

He also said regarding the military, “I hope the military takes this as an opportunity to reflect and innovate on whether there are any flaws in personnel, promotion, and unit management systems, rather than simply viewing it as an individual deviation.” He expressed concern, saying, “It seems that media and public attention are focused entirely on the criminal, while protection and recovery for the victim and bereaved family have been pushed to the sidelines,” and offered condolences to the deceased.

Yang Gwang-jun is accused of killing a female civilian military employee in her 30s, A, with whom he was arguing in his car in a military base parking lot in Gwacheon-si, Gyeonggi Province, around 3 p.m. on the 25th of last month. He is also accused of mutilating A’s body and disposing of it in the Bukhan River area of Hwacheon, Gangwon Province.

The Gangwon Provincial Police Agency disclosed Yang Gwang-jun’s face, name, and other personal information on the 13th. This was the first time in the history of the Gangwon Police Agency that personal information was released, and also the first case involving the disclosure of an active-duty military officer’s personal information.