The SBS investigative program 'Unanswered Questions' tracked the truth behind the Gangseo torture murder case on October 24.

On the afternoon of June 20, an emergency call was received from a man pleading for help, reporting that his cohabiting girlfriend was unconscious. Paramedics were 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 who was employed at an IT company. However, suspicious marks were found across her body. Bruises covered her face and entire body, and her back bore traces of being struck multiple times with a blunt weapon.

Upon the arrival of the police, her boyfriend, Mr. Jeon, who was four years younger than her, admitted to the assault. He claimed that although he struck the victim multiple times with a rubber mallet, he had no intention of killing her, insisting it was an accidental mistake that occurred on impulse because he could not tolerate the victim's lies.


However, autopsy results revealed that as many as 21 ribs were fractured and major organs ruptured, leading forensic pathologists to unanimously conclude, "This is torture."

Furthermore, a home security camera installed in the residence where the victim and perpetrator lived captured the shocking truth of that day. The perpetrator assaulted the victim 514 times over the course of 3 hours and 20 minutes. And even though the front door was right behind the spot where she was being assaulted, the victim could not resist even once or dare dream of escaping, helplessly enduring the violence in its entirety. What on earth had happened between the two?

The victim's colleagues testified that her daily life had changed noticeably starting a year ago. The victim, who was once diligent and kind, frequently stepped away from her seat during consultations over the past year and spoke on the phone in the emergency stairwell every day. In addition, abnormal signs such as bruises on her face and limping were observed, but it was revealed that she was unable to ask anyone for help.


The victim bore traces of assaults that had begun at least six weeks earlier. She was presumed to have endured severe injuries by relying on pain relief patches and painkillers. She spoke on the phone daily with the perpetrator, Mr. Jeon, who refused to listen to what she said during those calls and only repeated his own words.

The perpetrator claimed he had no intention of killing her. His parents even went so far as to argue that it was the victim who had gaslighted him. The perpetrator also provoked public fury with his absurd remark that he would apologize by supporting the bereaved family for the rest of his life.

Peers who remembered him recalled that he was an obstinate person who could not properly manage his emotions. Meanwhile, acquaintances of the victim recalled that the perpetrator and the victim seemed less like romantic partners and more like a son and mother.

Furthermore, many remembered him as an uncomfortable person to be around, noting that he picked quarrels over trivial matters wherever he went.

The production team forensically examined the victim's mobile phone and verified thousands of documents and audio recordings. Notably, records on the phone showed that the victim had sought the assistance of artificial intelligence multiple times to answer the perpetrator's questions. The victim had made desperate efforts to produce the answers he wanted to his riddle-like questions.


The production team also took note of the term "Guk-peu," which surfaced repeatedly in the pair's conversations, and soon uncovered its true nature. What they referred to as "Guk-peu" involved documenting and digitizing obscure concepts, including a fictional nation called "Dduriguk," along with its legislative and judicial branches, financial institutions, and computerization systems.

However, drafting all the documents was entirely the victim's responsibility, while the perpetrator was reportedly in charge of 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 in person to ask about "Guk-peu." In response, he claimed, "'Guk-peu' was a set of rules agreed upon by the two of us. They were rules made to fight less." Yet, the enforcement of these laws was carried out solely by the perpetrator.

The explanation for this was found in the communication manual they had created.


The manual contained chilling rules, including: "You must approach the truth yourself; judging that this manual alone resolves everything means death. If additional communication is received while beginning comprehension, halt comprehension, receive all communication, and then begin comprehension. To communicate your own thoughts, writing simple keywords using a recording device is permitted. The moment you choose falsehood, you are ineligible for any humane treatment. Once punishment begins, no justification or explanation is possible, and if I discover or perceive it myself, punishment will be aggravated. Punishment will exceed whatever you can imagine."

Amid the emergence of such bizarre evidence, the perpetrator went so far as to claim that he was unable to receive psychiatric treatment due to a lack of money.


Addressing this, an expert pointed out, "The perpetrator is not assaulting the other person out of an emotional outburst. He acts like a cat toying with a mouse rather than eating it. In a calm, gentle tone of voice, without becoming emotionally agitated, he assaults the other person to a terrifying degree."

Indeed, on the day of the incident, the perpetrator mentioned death 16 times without ever raising his voice. He also evoked chills by showing no agitation whatsoever even as the victim repeatedly pleaded in agony.

The expert analyzed the perpetrator: "'I am an extraordinary person'—he builds his world around that belief, derives satisfaction from it, and forces it onto others. And when that is not achieved, he resorts to violence," adding, "He exhibits narcissistic abuse, malignant narcissism, and exploitative narcissism."

The expert also stated, "Malignant narcissism is narcissism combined with antisocial tendencies. And the foundation of a narcissist is a sense of inferiority," explaining that he controlled the female victim because "he wants to feel like an extraordinary person through controlling her," asserting dominance to validate his own sense of superiority.

Furthermore, while claiming that he was the victim, the perpetrator demanded 100 million won in compensation from her, labeled this as a project, and even designated her as a debtor. The expert pointed out that this was an extension of financial exploitation.


The expert also lamented that the intricately planned rules established over a long period and the habitual violence that accompanied them likely paralyzed the victim's judgment.

A legal expert analyzed, "The perpetrator's actions must be viewed as definite intent, going beyond willful negligence (dolus eventualis). A prison sentence ranging from 10 to 20 years is possible."

However, it left much to be desired that the indictment contained only details concerning the scene of the killing on the day of her death. Regarding this, an expert raised their voice, stating, "There is no aggravated punishment under the Constitution of the Republic of Korea for prolonged gaslighting and control," adding, "South Korea is one of the most indolent nations in this regard. If the intentionality of perpetrators is not recognized, the problem is not merely that they get released quickly, but that they will meet another woman."

(Kim Hyo-jeong, Editor)