KOR
On the July 2 broadcast of SBS's Tails of Tales, the episode titled "Four Kidnappers – Who is Lying?" retraced the events of that fateful day of the Busan elementary school student kidnapping and murder case.
In October 1994, a phone call was made to a home in Busan. It was a threatening call from a kidnapper demanding 2 million KRW in cash if they wanted their daughter back.
Detectives launched an investigation to find the kidnapper, focusing on a witness statement that the child was seen walking with a woman in her 20s right before she disappeared. In particular, because the witness noted that the child was smiling, investigators suspected the culprit might be a relative.
The detectives identified the prime suspect as Na Kyung-ae, the maternal cousin of the missing child. However, Na strongly denied the allegations, and the case seemed to fall into a labyrinth.
But then, Na Kyung-ae's father called the police station. He reported a foul, decomposing odor coming from his daughter's room. The source of the smell was a blanket bundle inside Na's room. To everyone's horror, the body of the kidnapped victim, Eun-ji, was discovered inside.
Only then did Na Kyung-ae confess to the crime. However, she claimed, "Hyun-woo oppa suggested we kidnap her just to get the money. I had no intention of killing her," pointing to the existence of accomplices. She named three accomplices in total.
The accomplices she named were Choi Hyun-woo, a 23-year-old office worker; her friend Shin Yu-ri, a college student; and Jung Il-soo, a 23-year-old friend of Choi Hyun-woo.
Na Kyung-ae stated that she planned the crime out of curiosity after watching news reports about the Chijon Family. She drew attention by claiming that Choi Hyun-woo was the one who initially planned the crime.
According to her, the other three came from wealthy families but decided to commit the kidnapping to secure entertainment money. While they initially had no intention of killing the child, Shin Yu-ri allegedly suggested murdering her out of fear that she would reveal their identities, a proposal that the other three accepted.
Na Kyung-ae claimed that they parked the car in a suitable spot to kill the child, while she and Shin Yu-ri kept watch. She asserted that Choi Hyun-woo strangled the victim inside the car, Jung Il-soo loaded the body into the trunk, and she ended up abandoning the body in her own room the following day.
Consequently, detectives immediately arrested the three accomplices, sparking nationwide outrage across South Korea.
However, shortly after, the alleged accomplices proclaimed their innocence. They claimed they had absolutely nothing to do with the case and had solid alibis for the day of the crime. Shockingly, Jung Il-soo revealed that he had met Na Kyung-ae and Shin Yu-ri for the very first time at the police station after their arrest.
Yet, the police insisted that their claims were entirely false and that their alibis were also distorted, presenting evidence to support their stance.
Faced with conflicting statements, the presiding judge decided to try the case with extreme caution and ordered an on-site crime scene reenactment.
During this process, it was revealed that the murder scene designated by Na Kyung-ae was actually a highly congested road where a car could not be parked for even a single minute. When the judge pressed Na on this, she changed her story, claiming she did not know where the murder took place, which severely damaged the credibility of her previous statements.
Subsequently, additional evidence supporting the alibis of the three accomplices emerged. In particular, it was proven that Choi Hyun-woo was actually in Daegu, not Busan, on October 9—the day the crime was allegedly plotted—turning the case on its head.
In response, the Busan Bar Association formed a truth-finding committee to investigate the case. They soon uncovered the identity of a "third accomplice" who had distorted the case behind Na Kyung-ae's back.
A witness, Mr. Oh, who was being questioned for a different case at the same police station handling Eun-ji's case, happened to see Choi and Jung. He witnessed detectives shouting profanities and mercilessly beating Choi and Jung, telling them, "There are too many inconsistencies in your statements. You need to align your stories," until 16 key points of their statements matched.
Consequently, the truth-finding committee revealed that all the alleged accomplices, except Na Kyung-ae, had made false confessions due to police brutality. They also discovered that at least six witnesses had given false statements under coercive investigation. This proved that the alibis of the three accomplices were genuine and had not been distorted. The police simply refused to believe them from the very beginning.
Furthermore, it was revealed that the police failed to properly preserve the blanket bundle—a crucial piece of physical evidence—and did not even test it for fingerprints or DNA.
The truth-finding committee subsequently filed lawsuits against 14 police officers involved in the torture. Charges were sustained against seven of them, and three were ultimately convicted.
However, it was revealed that not only the police but also the prosecution had assaulted and threatened the three men to distort their statements. Upon learning this, journalists exposed the ugly actions of both the police and the prosecution.
In response, the prosecution pressured newspapers and journalists through acquaintances, even summoning and suing some of them. However, the journalists refused to back down. They continued to report evidence proving the alibis of the three falsely accused men.
One journalist who fought to uncover the truth at the time drew attention by sharing, "I wasn't afraid. I believed we could win. I wrote the articles with the mindset that this must be thoroughly uncovered."
The trial proceeded amidst the battle for the truth, with a total of 98 witnesses called to testify—the highest number in South Korean criminal court history.
In February 1995, shortly before the sentencing hearing, prosecutors visited Judge Park to pressure him into delaying the verdict. However, Judge Park ignored their demands, deciding that the ruling could no longer be postponed.
Despite facing immense pressure to halt the trial, Judge Park stood firm. He even hid on a small island near the courthouse to wait out the hours before the sentencing, entering the courtroom right on time.
Judge Park sentenced Na Kyung-ae, who kidnapped and caused the death of her young cousin, to death, while declaring the other three defendants not guilty. However, the prosecution immediately appealed, claiming there was no room for reconsideration.
On December 8, 1995, the Supreme Court handed down its final ruling. Citing signs of remorse, the Supreme Court commuted Na Kyung-ae's death sentence to life imprisonment. Meanwhile, the court upheld the not-guilty verdicts for the other three defendants. Thanks to the tireless efforts of many, the three innocent young men were finally cleared of all charges.
However, Judge Park noted that one mystery remains unsolved to this day: Why did Na Kyung-ae drag those three innocent people—specifically those three—into her crime?
The broadcast then traced another truth from that day 30 years ago. In May 1994, five months before the incident, Na Kyung-ae and Shin Yu-ri crossed paths with Choi Hyun-woo by chance.
Shortly after, the three went on a trip to Masan. There, Na Kyung-ae felt devastated when she saw Choi Hyun-woo kiss Shin Yu-ri on the cheek.
Na Kyung-ae had harbored feelings for Choi Hyun-woo since they first met, but Choi had shown interest in Shin Yu-ri instead. To make matters worse, Na had previously experienced a situation where a man she had a crush on liked Shin Yu-ri. Having this pattern repeat left her feeling deeply humiliated.
Furthermore, the person Na Kyung-ae had originally intended to name as an accomplice instead of Jung Il-soo was actually Park Dong-soo—the very man she had previously had a crush on. In this twisted manner, Na Kyung-ae framed the men she had unrequited crushes on, along with Shin Yu-ri, the woman they had preferred over her.
Additionally, the broadcast analyzed Na Kyung-ae's statements and suggested that the Busan elementary school student kidnapping and murder was highly likely a solo crime committed by Na alone. However, this remains a mere theory. Because the golden hour of the investigation was lost in its early stages, the case remains forever only partially solved.
While the three falsely accused defendants cleared their names thanks to those who fought for the truth, the full truth behind Eun-ji's tragic death might have been uncovered if the prosecution had chosen to reinvestigate instead of appealing, if the police had properly verified the suspects' alibis, and if Na Kyung-ae had spoken the truth.
The broadcast concluded with a poignant message, emphasizing that the most crucial thing is the courage to correct one's mistakes, to willingly apologize and admit wrongdoing, and to find the strength to start anew.
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.
