Names and Photos Spread Online... Suspect in 'Freezer Murder' Faces Growing Scrutiny

The real name and photos of a man in his 30s who trapped and killed a woman in her 60s inside a freezer at a cafe in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, are spreading across social media networks.

According to police and other sources on September 9, posts containing the real name and photos of the suspect, a man in his 30s identified as A who was arrested on charges of murdering an abducted person, as well as the name of the cafe he operated, have been continuously uploaded to social media and online communities.

Some posts even revealed the name of the cafe operated by A, explaining that it was named in a way that allows people to guess his age.

As the unusual crime method of A trapping the victim in a freezer to death became known, public interest is also focusing on whether the police will officially disclose his personal identity.

Under current law, the disclosure of a suspect's identity is determined by considering specific criteria: ▲ whether the crime method is cruel and resulted in grave damage, ▲ whether there is sufficient evidence to believe that the suspect committed the crime, and ▲ whether it is necessary for the public interest, such as guaranteeing the public's right to know, preventing the suspect from reoffending, and preventing crimes.

A is accused of luring B, a woman in her 60s whom he had never met before, into his cafe, locking her inside a freezer, and setting the freezer temperature to minus 25 degrees Celsius (-13°F), causing her to die of hypothermia.

It was also confirmed that A visited the scene multiple times while B was trapped inside the freezer.

Police believe that A lured and then killed B, and thus applied the charge of murdering an abducted person, which carries a heavier statutory penalty than general murder.

The crime of murdering an abducted person is applied when an abducted victim is killed, and is punishable by the death penalty, life imprisonment, or imprisonment for not less than 7 years.

Considering A's crime method and the resulting damage, there is room for the case to meet the requirements for identity disclosure, but the police maintain that it is not yet the stage to review disclosure.

A police official stated, "We are still in the stage of examining the overall details of the case, including the motive for the crime," adding, "There are many unconfirmed parts and additional matters to investigate, so we are not currently discussing identity disclosure."

The police are currently re-examining the overall case, including analyzing the credibility of the motive for the crime stated by A.

The police plan to forward A to the prosecution as early as this week, once the additional investigation is completed.
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.