514 assaults over 3 hours and 20 minutes: what is the truth behind the Gangseo torture murder case?

On the October 24 broadcast of SBS's "Unanswered Questions," the program tracked the truth behind the Gangseo torture murder case.

On the afternoon of June 20, a call came in from a boyfriend asking for help, reporting that his cohabiting girlfriend was unconscious. Paramedics dispatched to a semi-basement room in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, but the woman was already in cardiac arrest.

The deceased woman was 28-year-old Lim Jan-di, an office worker at an IT company. However, suspicious marks were found on her body. Bruises covered her face and entire body, and her back bore traces of being struck multiple times with a blunt object.

When police arrived, the boyfriend, Jeon, who is four years younger than her, admitted to the assault. He claimed he struck the victim several times using a rubber mallet but had no intention to kill, arguing that it was an accidental mistake that occurred because he could not tolerate the victim's lies.

However, autopsy results revealed that as many as 21 ribs were fractured, rupturing major organs, leading forensic scientists to unanimously say, "This is torture."

Furthermore, a home camera installed in the house where the victim and perpetrator lived captured the shocking truth of that day. The perpetrator assaulted the victim 514 times over 3 hours and 20 minutes. Moreover, even though the front door was located right behind where the assault was taking place, the victim could not resist even once or dream of escaping, simply enduring the violence. What on earth had happened between them?

The victim's coworkers testified that her daily life had changed noticeably starting a year ago. The victim, who had been diligent and kind, began frequently stepping away from her desk during consultations starting a year ago, and made phone calls in the emergency stairwell every day. In addition, unusual signs such as facial bruising and limping were spotted, but it was revealed that she had been unable to ask anyone for help.

The victim bore traces of assaults that had begun at least six weeks prior. It was presumed that she endured her severe injuries with pain relief patches and painkillers. She spoke on the phone with the perpetrator, Jeon, every day, and during those calls, the perpetrator never listened to what the victim said and only repeated his own words.

The perpetrator claimed he had no intent to kill. His parents even went so far as to argue that it was the victim who had gaslighted the perpetrator. In addition, the perpetrator caused outrage with an absurd remark that he would support the bereaved family for life to make amends.

Peers who remembered him recalled him as being obstinate and incapable of properly controlling his emotions. Friends of the victim recalled that the two looked more like a mother and son than a romantic couple.

Many also remembered the perpetrator as an uncomfortable person to be around, noting that conflicts arose over trivial matters wherever he went.

The production team conducted digital forensics on the victim's mobile phone and verified thousands of documents and audio files. Notably, the victim's phone also contained records showing that she sought help from AI multiple times to answer the perpetrator's questions. The victim had made strenuous efforts to provide the answers he wanted to his riddle-like questions.

The production team also took note of the term "Gukpeu," which was repeatedly mentioned in the conversations between the two, and soon confirmed its true nature. Documenting and computerizing an unidentified structure—including a fictional country called "Dduriguk," a legislature, judiciary, financial institutions, and computerization—was what they referred to as "Gukpeu."

However, writing all the documents was entirely the victim's task, while the perpetrator was responsible for coding for computerization. Yet, it drew attention that right up until the incident occurred, the perpetrator had been unable to build even a simple website.

The production team met with the perpetrator directly and asked about "Gukpeu." In response, he said, "'Gukpeu' was a rule set by the two of us. It was a rule made to argue less." However, legal enforcement was carried out exclusively by the perpetrator.

The answer to this lay in a communication manual they had created.

There was a chilling rule stating: "Truth must be approached on one's own; deciding that everything will be resolved just by having this manual means death. Once comprehension begins, if there is additional communication, stop comprehending, receive all communication, and then begin comprehending. For one's own communication, writing simple keywords using a recording device is permitted. The moment you choose falsehood, no humane treatment whatsoever is possible. Once punishment begins, no justification or explanation is possible, and if I discover or perceive it myself, aggravated punishment will follow. Punishment will exceed whatever you imagine."

Amid the emergence of such bizarre evidence, the perpetrator was even claiming that he had been unable to receive psychiatric treatment due to a lack of money.

Regarding this, an expert pointed out, "The perpetrator is not assaulting the other person out of an emotional outburst. He acts like a cat playing with a mouse rather than eating it. He assaults the victim to a chilling degree in a gentle voice, without being heavily shaken emotionally."

In fact, on the day of the incident, the perpetrator mentioned death 16 times without ever raising his voice. He also caused chills by showing no agitation whatsoever even as the victim pleaded in pain multiple times.

Analyzing the perpetrator, the expert said, "'I am an extraordinary person. I build my world with that, derive satisfaction from it, and force it onto others. And if that is not achieved, I use violence,'" adding, "He possesses narcissistic abuse, malignant narcissism, and exploitative narcissism."

The expert continued, "Malignant narcissism is narcissism combined with antisocial traits. And the foundation of a narcissist is an inferiority complex," explaining that he controlled the victim to validate his own sense of superiority: "By controlling the female victim, he wants to feel that he is an extraordinary person."

Meanwhile, the perpetrator claimed that he was the victim, demanding 100 million won in compensation from the victim, further labeling this a project and even defining her as a debtor. Experts pointed out that this was an extension of economic exploitation.

They also expressed regret, noting that the rules meticulously planned over a long period and the habitual violence that followed those rules likely paralyzed the victim's judgment.

A legal expert analyzed, "The perpetrator must be viewed as having direct intent rather than willful negligence. A prison sentence of 10 to 20 years is possible."

However, the indictment left room for regret, as it only contained the murder scene on the day of her death. Regarding this, an expert voiced criticism, stating, "There is no aggravated punishment under the Constitution of the Republic of Korea for control through long-term gaslighting," and added, "The Republic of Korea is one of the most complacent nations. If the perpetrators' intent is not recognized, the problem is not just that they get out quickly, but that they will meet another woman."