KOR
▲ A man in his mid-20s, who murdered his mother-in-law and kidnapped his wife amidst a divorce lawsuit, is transferred to the Songpa Police Station in Seoul on the 11th.
It has been revealed that a man in his 20s, accused of murdering his mother-in-law and kidnapping and confining his wife during an annulment lawsuit, used a private detective agency to stalk the victim's family.
Meeting with SBS reporting teams today (the 12th), the bereaved family stated that a man in his 20 surnamed Kim, who was arrested on charges including patricide, told his wife, "I paid a private detective to follow you."
Early yesterday morning, Kim murdered his mother-in-law in her 50s near a multi-family housing unit in Munjeong-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul, and then forced his wife into a vehicle and headed toward Gangwon Province.
According to the bereaved family, while forcing his wife into the car and moving toward Gangwon Province, Kim reportedly stated, "I paid 20 million won to hire a private detective agency to stake out in front of your house for two weeks."
The family also said, "(At the time of the incident,) she was on her way home late at night after finishing work," adding, "It seems the deceased went out to meet her after being told, 'I am uneasy because of Kim, please come out to walk me home,' and met this tragic fate."
Furthermore, the bereaved family explained that coercive circumstances had existed since the couple registered their marriage last February.
They claimed that Kim threatened her with a weapon and forced her to register the marriage, and even after that, restricted her outings, confined her, and assaulted her multiple times.
Unable to endure it any longer, the wife left the home and asked the police for help, after which the case was transferred from the Yongsan Police Station in Seoul to the Suwon Gwonseon Police Station in Gyeonggi Province due to jurisdictional issues.
The family claimed that they visited the police once again with the wife to give a statement on the damage, but received a response along the lines of, "This is not enough to lock Kim up, we have to wait and see."
Expressing their anger, they said, "Considering the risks and other factors, anyone could see that this was a situation where Kim should have been detained and safety measures taken," and added, "Waiting until something happens is like trying to mend the barn after losing the cow."
The bereaved family repeatedly called for strict punishment for Kim.
Meanwhile, the police are intensively questioning Kim—who was apprehended yesterday—regarding whether the crime was premeditated, and have applied for an arrest warrant for Kim on charges of patricide and special confinement.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.
