South Korea - Hwaseong serial murders 1986-1991-Unidentified serial killer

[Deleted member 185742]

The females, ages ranging from fourteen to seventy-one, were each found gagged and murdered over a four-year and seven-month period in the rural city of Hwaseong in Gyeonggi Province. Each woman was strangled to death with their own clothes. The evidence compiled led to a description of a man in his teens, weighing between 165 and 170 pounds, and having the blood type B based on forensic testimony.

In attempts to resolve the case, the largest number of policemen in history was fielded. About 2.05 million officers dealt with the case annually. The number of suspects and witnesses combined amount to 21,280 individuals. In addition, 40,116 individuals have had their fingerprint taken, and 570 DNA samples and 180 hair samples were analyzed.

Victims

Lee Wan im-age 71-September 15, 1986
Park Hyun-sook-age 25-October 20, 1986
Kwon Jung-bon-age 25-December 12, 1986
Lee Kye-sook-age 23-December 14, 1986
Hong Jin-young-age 19-January 10, 1987
Park Eun-joo-age 29-May 2, 1987
Ahn Gi-soon-age 54-September 7, 1988
Park Sang-hee-age 14-September 16, 1988
Kim Mi-jung-age 14-November 15, 1990
Kwon Soon-sang-age 69-April 3, 1991


In Korea, the statute of limitations for murder is fifteen years. The statute for the killings ran out in April 2, 2006

 

[JoshMetal]

Ohh the movie, "Memories of Murder" is loosely based on these killings. I also see that even though the statute ran out they still keep the records on file because of the significance of the case.

 

[YESorNO]

Serial killer who inspired ‘Memories of Murder’ identified after 30 years

September 18, 2019

"A serial killer who raped and murdered at least ten women in South Korea about 30 years ago has finally been identified, but he can’t be prosecuted because the statute of limitations expired more than a decade ago, officials say. The notorious case inspired the 2003 film “Memories of Murder.”

The man, whose name was not immediately released, is in his 50s and is currently in prison for committing a “similar crime,” according to the Yonhap news agency. It’s unclear if he was already convicted in connection with the other crime, of which details have not yet been released.

The suspect was identified after DNA collected from the underwear of one of the serial killer’s victims was matched with his, according to police. The Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency is expected to release more details during a press conference on Thursday.

The serial killer terrorized South Korea in the late 1980s and the early 1990s, when at least 10 women between the ages of 14 and 71 were raped and murdered in Hwaseong, a city with large rural areas about 46 kilometers (29 miles) southwest of the capital Seoul. The killer, who gagged and bound his victims, is sometimes compared to the Zodiac Killer in the U.S.

But even though a suspect has now been identified, he cannot be prosecuted because there was a 15-year statute of limitations for first-degree murder at the time of the killings. It was increased to 25 years in in 2007 and finally lifted in 2015, but it is not retroactive...."

Serial killer who inspired ‘Memories of Murder’ identified after 30 years

(A sketch of the suspect. It’s unknown if the newly-identified suspect resembles him.)
---

Memories of Murder

"Memories of Murder (Korean: 살인의 추억; RR: Sarinui chueok) is a 2003 South Korean crime drama film[2] co-written and directed by Bong Joon-ho. It is based on the true story of Korea's first serial murders in history, which took place between 1986 and 1991 in Province. Song Kang-ho and Kim Sang-kyung star as Detective Park and Detective Seo, respectively, two of the detectives trying to solve the crimes...."

Memories of Murder - Wikipedia
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Memories of Murder (2003) - movie trailer

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Memories Of Murder - Full Length Thriller

"Two rural Korean detectives bungle a murder investigation, only to discover that they are on the trail of a brutal serial killer. "

(has subtitles- 2:10:56 in length)

 

[imstilla.grandma]

For years, authorities were stumped by what local media has called the worst serial murder case in the country's modern history.

But in a press briefing Thursday, South Korean police said they believed they had identified the man behind at least three of the killings which took place in Hwaseong, a city south of Seoul, between 1986 and 1991.

The alleged suspect, who police did not name, is in his 50s and is already in prison where he is serving a life sentence, according to CNN affiliate KBS.

The murders are famous in South Korea where they are known as the "Hwaseong serial killing case." On Thursday, the case was trending on Naver, South Korea's largest search engine.
Hwaseong serial killer: South Korean police say they have partly cracked a three-decade-old serial murder case - CNN

 

[BlackCloud]

Do they really have a Statute of limitations for murder? Unbelievable!
Those victims....no justice forever for them

 

[YESorNO]

Photo of 'Hwaseong serial killer' revealed

2019-09-27

"...The Hankook Ilbo, sister paper of The Korea Times, obtained the high school graduation photo of Lee Chun-jae, 56, and published it in Thursday's issue.

The young Lee looks similar to a facial composite of the killer, which was made about three decades ago based on witness accounts....

Lee, who is serving a life sentence for raping and killing his sister-in-law in 1994, denies involvement in the Hwaseong cases.

Photo of 'Hwaseong serial killer' revealed

(The high school graduation photo of Lee Chun-jae, left, and a facial composite of the Hwaseong serial killer / Korea Times)

 

[YESorNO]

Suspect in Hwaseong serial murder case confesses to killings: police

Oct 1, 2019

"The suspect in decades-old serial murders committed south of Seoul has admitted to killing the victims, police said Tuesday.
The 56-year-old man, who has been in prison for raping and killing his sister-in-law in 1994, was identified in mid-September as the suspect in the murders of nine women in Hwaseong, 60 kilometers south of Seoul, between 1986-91.

Police said he admitted to responsibility for the cases and three more crimes in the city at that time and two others before the murder of his sister-in-law....

The police have said the suspect will not be prosecuted for the Hwaseong cases even if he admits his involvement, as the statue of limitations on the Hwaseong cases expired in 2006...."

Suspect in Hwaseong serial murder case confesses to killings: police

 

[Aslan]

Serial killer who inspired ‘Memories of Murder’ identified after 30 years

September 18, 2019

"A serial killer who raped and murdered at least ten women in South Korea about 30 years ago has finally been identified, but he can’t be prosecuted because the statute of limitations expired more than a decade ago, officials say. The notorious case inspired the 2003 film “Memories of Murder.”

The man, whose name was not immediately released, is in his 50s and is currently in prison for committing a “similar crime,” according to the Yonhap news agency. It’s unclear if he was already convicted in connection with the other crime, of which details have not yet been released.

The suspect was identified after DNA collected from the underwear of one of the serial killer’s victims was matched with his, according to police. The Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency is expected to release more details during a press conference on Thursday.

The serial killer terrorized South Korea in the late 1980s and the early 1990s, when at least 10 women between the ages of 14 and 71 were raped and murdered in Hwaseong, a city with large rural areas about 46 kilometers (29 miles) southwest of the capital Seoul. The killer, who gagged and bound his victims, is sometimes compared to the Zodiac Killer in the U.S.

But even though a suspect has now been identified, he cannot be prosecuted because there was a 15-year statute of limitations for first-degree murder at the time of the killings. It was increased to 25 years in in 2007 and finally lifted in 2015, but it is not retroactive...."

Serial killer who inspired ‘Memories of Murder’ identified after 30 years

(A sketch of the suspect. It’s unknown if the newly-identified suspect resembles him.)
---

Memories of Murder

"Memories of Murder (Korean: 살인의 추억; RR: Sarinui chueok) is a 2003 South Korean crime drama film[2] co-written and directed by Bong Joon-ho. It is based on the true story of Korea's first serial murders in history, which took place between 1986 and 1991 in Province. Song Kang-ho and Kim Sang-kyung star as Detective Park and Detective Seo, respectively, two of the detectives trying to solve the crimes...."

Memories of Murder - Wikipedia
---

Memories of Murder (2003) - movie trailer

---

Memories Of Murder - Full Length Thriller

"Two rural Korean detectives bungle a murder investigation, only to discover that they are on the trail of a brutal serial killer. "

(has subtitles- 2:10:56 in length)

HURRAH!!!! Thank you so much for posting this, YesOrNo! I have been following this case for years and have always hoped that they would catch him while the families of the victims are still alive. It's awful that he can't be prosecuted, but at least the big question has been answered, and I'm sure this will bring some relief to the parents, partners and children who have lived with this burden for so long. And at least they know that people still care and the women have not been forgotten.

There is nothing better than when an age-old case like this is solved, is there? DNA is going to solve so much in the coming years... The people who committed these crimes will be shaking in their shoes now.

 

[YESorNO]

Killer’s confession is key to Cheongju murders

Oct 08,2019

"Police may have solved two more murders that took place in Cheongju, North Chungcheong, in the 1990s, after verifying a confession by Lee Choon-jae, the suspected serial killer behind at least nine killings in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi, three decades ago.
Lee, who is serving a life sentence at the Busan Penitentiary for killing his ex-wife’s sister in 1994, last month confessed to a total of 15 murders, which include 10 women ranging from the ages of 13 to 72 in Hwaseong from 1986 to 1991 and two other previously unattributed murders that occurred in Cheongju in 1991 and 1992.

Upon further investigations, police found that the latter two murder cases in Cheongju exhibited signature characteristics similar to the Hwaseong killings, in that the victims were often found bound, raped and asphyxiated to death...

In addition to the murders in Hwaseong, Lee voluntarily told police about the murder of both women in Cheongju, claiming his killing spree continued well after the murders in Hwaseong...."

Killer’s confession is key to Cheongju murders

 

[YESorNO]

S. Korean Police Probe into Hwaseong Serial Murders Fraught with Uncertainties

2019-10-08

S. Korean Police Probe into Hwaseong Serial Murders Fraught with Uncertainties

 

[YESorNO]

Man seeks retrial as Hwaseong serial killer claims 'copycat' murder

2019-10-10

"A man who spent nearly 20 years in prison for raping and killing a teenage girl is seeking a retrial to be exonerated after the notorious Hwaseong serial killer claimed responsibility for what was believed to be a "copycat'' murder.

Lawyer Park Joon-young said Wednesday he will represent the man, 52, surnamed Yoon....

The development comes after Lee Chun-jae, 56, the prime suspect in at least nine murders between September 1986 and April 1991, claimed responsibility for the Sept. 16, 1988 so-called "copycat" murder ― 30 years after Yoon was convicted of killing the girl, 13, surnamed Park.

Speaking to Channel A, a local broadcaster, Yoon claimed police forced him to make a false confession after they assaulted and tortured him.

Yoon, then 22, was arrested in 1989 for killing the girl at her home. He was later sentenced to life in prison, which the Supreme Court upheld in May 1990. After spending 19 years and six months behind bars, he was released in 2009 for good behavior...."

Man seeks retrial as Hwaseong serial killer claims 'copycat' murder

 

[YESorNO]

Police Find 'Significant Parts' in Additional Confession of Hwaseong Serial Killer

2019-10-10

"Police on Thursday said Lee Chun-jae's confession to an additional murder which authorities previously concluded was perpetrated by a copycat killer contained significant parts that lend it credibility.

Lee, 56, recently admitted that he was behind all ten of the Hwaseong serial murders carried out between 1986 and 1991.

Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency said in a press briefing that it is trying to draw definitive testimony from Lee, who is currently serving life for the rape and murder of his sister-in-law in 1994.

When asked whether Lee's confession was detailed, police said his confession contained parts of significance, and added that they were working to draw out testimony only the real perpetrator would know. ..."

Police Find 'Significant Parts' in Additional Confession of Hwaseong Serial Killer

 

[YESorNO]

Suspect in decades-old Hwaseong serial murders in South Korea booked, case to be sent to prosecutors

October 15, 2019

"SUWON, SOUTH KOREA (THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - Police said on Tuesday (Oct 15) that Lee Chun-jae, 56, has been booked in connection with a series of rape-murders in the 1980s and early 1990s and his case will be sent to prosecutors despite the expired statute of limitations.

The Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency confirmed in a press briefing on Tuesday morning that Lee's status was changed from "suspect" to "accused" as of Monday, after the authorities judged that his account of the crimes in question had "substantial credibility". Forensic DNA testing has linked Lee to five of the murders, with more tests still under way.

Lee's change in status is a critical turning point in the investigation, police said, which means that written interrogatories now need to be lodged in accordance with the law.

From this point on, police interviews with Lee will have to be recorded in the form of official documents to be signed by Lee. The police agency said its committee of judicial experts had affirmed the legal grounds of the decision.

Police said 10 of the 14 murders that Lee has confessed to are part of an unsolved series of rapes and killings that occurred between 1986 and 1991 in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province.

The other four - also cold cases - are the December 1987 murder of a 17-year-old girl in Suwon, a Gyeonggi city close to Hwaseong; the July 1989 disappearance of an eight-year-old girl in Hwaseong; the January 1991 murder of a high school girl in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province; and the March 1991 murder of a 26-year-old woman in Cheongju.

Lee told police he had disposed of the missing eight-year-old's body near where he killed her...."

Suspect in decades-old Hwaseong serial murders in South Korea booked, case to be sent to prosecutors

 

[YESorNO]

Special bill aims to bring Hwaseong killer to justice

Oct 22, 2019

"Lawmakers have officially filed a bill that would invalidate the statute of limitations for a series of rape-murders from the mid-1980s and early 1990s in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province.

On Sept. 20, 13 lawmakers jointly submitted a motion seeking to punish killer Lee Chun-jae, 56, despite the statute of limitations having expired. ...

Rep. Ahn Gyu-back of the ruling Democratic Party, the bill’s chief author, told The Korea Herald the special act aims to abolish the statute of limitations for “the inhumane and atrocious serial killings.”

Ahn said the bill was not being introduced solely for “punitive purposes” but to prevent copycat crimes and raise public awareness about social safety.

Such a law, however, may present judicial complications, according to legal experts...."

Special bill aims to bring Hwaseong killer to justice

 

[dotr]

Very lengthy detailed article with video and pics.
South Korea's most-notorious serial killing cold case now exposes huge injustices - CNN
By Julia Hollingsworth, Yoonjung Seo and Jake Kwon, CNN

May 24, 2020
''In Yoon's case, Lee Chun-jae's confession will be crucial. It's possible that the convicted murderer will testify in court before the three judges, who have the power to overturn Yoon's conviction, Park said.
There's a good chance he'll be acquitted. At a pre-retrial hearing in February, the presiding judge verbally apologized for Yoon's false conviction.
Yet, there are still issues with Yoon's case. Although Lee's DNA matches a number of the murders, police have not announced any DNA evidence connecting him with the 13-year-old girl.
Also, pubic hairs found at the scene returned a 40% match with Yoon's, according to a 1989 report written by an expert at National Forensic Service (NFS).
Those hairs have not been DNA tested -- and even if they do ultimately match Yoon's, his lawyer Park warns it's possible that a sample taken from Yoon could have been mixed up with evidence taken from the scene of the murder. The court has ordered the NFS to extract DNA from the hair, Park said.
The retrial is expected to take place over a number of months, but if Yoon is found not guilty, he can make a claim for compensation, according to Park.
Yoon says nothing can compensate him for the 20 years of life he lost. Even when he was freed from prison 10 years ago, the world had changed so much that initially he wanted to go back in. "It took me around three years to adjust," he said. "I couldn't live. My life patterns at the prison didn't accommodate the new world I was faced with."

"I want to clear my false accusation, and I want my honor back. I want to be satisfied with these, and that's all."Yoon

Yoon knows Lee will never be tried for the crime, nor will the police officers who he says tortured him, because too many years have passed since the sleepless nights he spent in that small police interrogation room.
He just wants to live the rest of his life as an innocent man.
"I want to clear my false accusation, and I want my honor back," he says. "I want to be satisfied with these, and that's all."

 

[dotr]

Nov 6 2020 rbbm.
South Korea's most-notorious serial killers confesses, says he's surprised he wasn't caught sooner | Toronto Sun
''A serial killer in South Korea admitted in court Monday that he murdered 14 women and girls three decades ago, saying he was surprised he wasn’t caught earlier.

Lee Chun-jae confessed to the killings in front of Yoon, the only person ever convicted of any of the murders.''
“I didn’t think the crimes would be buried forever,” 57-year-old Lee told a South Korean court.''

“I still don’t understand (why I wasn’t a suspect),” Lee said in court. “Crimes happened around me and I didn’t try hard to hide things so I thought I would get caught easily. There were hundreds of police forces. I bumped into detectives all the time but they always asked me about people around me.

“I heard that many people had been investigated and wrongfully suffered. I’d like to apologize to all those people.”

Oct. 4, 2019
'Gr' Mars serial murder case Lee Chun-jae's two faces, the testimony of acquaintances

''What is Lee Chun-jae’s real face?

On SBS 'I want to know' broadcasted on October 5, I trace the crime of Lee Chun-jae, who was revealed to be the perpetrator of the Mars serial murder after the first part last week, and what his real image is.

On September 19, police announced that a suspect in the Mars serial murder case was identified 33 years after the incident.,The suspect, who matched the DNA collected from the remains of the victims of the fourth, fifth, seventh and ninth cases, was Lee Chun-jae, who was sentenced to life imprisonment in Busan prison for murdering his sister in 1994.,He denied the charges during the initial investigation and after nine face-to-face interviews, he confessed to all the crimes he had committed.,He said that he committed nine murders, excluding the 8th crime, as well as five unsolved murders and 30 sex crimes, which have not yet been revealed.''

 

[Richard]

Lee Chun-jae