Suspect in Brutal Murder Found Naked at Convenience Store; Police Criticized for Failing to Apprehend Him Earlier

[Anchor]

The identity of 24-year-old Jung Jae-hwan, who brutally murdered his friend with a weapon in Gyeongsan, Gyeongsangbuk-do, earlier this month, has been released. The bereaved family is raising concerns over the police's initial response, claiming that officers encountered Jung on the street but failed to apprehend him.

Reporter Yoo Soo-Hwan has the story.

[Reporter]

In the middle of the night, a man runs across the road in the nude.

He wanders along the sidewalk and even passes by a patrol car that suddenly appears.

This is 24-year-old Jung Jae-hwan, who is accused of murdering his friend of the same age at his apartment in Hayang-eup, Gyeongsan, Gyeongsangbuk-do, in the early hours of July 4.

Jung is accused of biting the victim's face while they were drinking together, stabbing the victim multiple times with a weapon, and even desecrating the body.

At the time, the victim called another friend to ask for help. A recording of the call reportedly contains Jung saying to the victim, "Don't I look cute?"

Immediately after the crime, Jung was seen covered in blood and naked, visiting a convenience store to pick up a drink. Although he encountered a patrol car while wandering the streets, he was not apprehended at that moment.

It was other friends who eventually caught Jung when he returned to the crime scene on his own.

The bereaved family questioned why the police did not immediately subdue Jung when they encountered him. The police explained that they had "ordered him to stop, but he ran away."

The Gyeongbuk Provincial Police Agency announced that, considering the brutality of the crime, the severity of the damage, and the fact that sufficient evidence has been secured, Jung Jae-hwan's personal information will be disclosed for 30 days starting today.

(Video Editing: Lee Sang-min)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.