SBS 'Kkokomoo' revealed the story of the 'Dudeulgang high school murder case', causing listener Monsta X's Jooheon to explode with uncontrollable anger and evoke sympathy.
The 172nd episode of 'The Day That Tails Follow Tails', aired on the 24th, featured the title 'The Murderer's Lies, and the Last Clue - Dudeulgang Murder Case', with musical actress Cha Ji-yeon, actress Kyung Soo-jin, and Monsta X's Jooheon participating as listeners. According to the audience rating research agency Nielsen Korea, the audience rating for 'Kkokomoo' on that day recorded 3.9% in the metropolitan area and 1.4% in the 2049 demographic, with the 2049 rating securing first place among all programs on Thursday.
The story began with Minji's past diary, which concealed 'November 30.' On February 4, 2001, 19-year-old Minji, who was about to graduate high school, suddenly disappeared in the early morning. On that afternoon, the incident occurred when her body was discovered in the Dudeulgang, located about 30 minutes away by car from her home in Naju, Jeollanam-do. The body was found stripped of all clothing except for stockings, and the cause of death was determined to be death by choking in water due to facial congestion. Semen was detected in her body, indicating potential sexual assault, which added to the shock.
As a result of the investigation, it was found that Minji left her house around 1 a.m. on the day of the incident and was reportedly with two men in the nearby neighborhood around 3 a.m. Detectives collected DNA samples from men in Minji's vicinity, but nonematched. It was presumed that Minji had met the perpetrator through an online chatting site that was popular at the time; however, due to the technology available then, it was not possible to trace the chat partner. Unfortunately, the case eventually became unsolved. Eight years later, in 2009, her father, who had been struggling with the injustice of his daughter's unresolved case, ended his own life. Listener Kyung Soo-jin noted, "The father's feelings are something that cannot be expressed in words."
However, 11 years after the incident, a match was found with the DNA discovered in Minji's body. It was identified as belonging to Mr. Kim, who had been sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering a pawnshop owner. However, Mr. Kim initially claimed to not know Minji, later admitting to only having had sexual relations with her while robustly denying the murder charges. Mr. Kim was referred for charges of rape and murder, but prosecutors determined that the DNA detection alone could not be direct evidence of murder, leading to a decision not to prosecute. In response, Kyung Soo-jin lamented, "It's so frustrating," while Jooheon expressed his disappointment, saying, "It's so tragic." Cha Ji-yeon could not hold back tears at the video of a grieving mother crying out, "I will fulfill your grudges, come to me," at the Dudeulgang.
Despite the decision not to prosecute, there were many suspicious points regarding Mr. Kim's actions. The method of killing the pawnshop owner bore a striking resemblance to the Dudeulgang case. At the time of the incident, Mr. Kim lived just 500 meters away from Minji, but in the first investigation, his address was registered elsewhere, preventing him from being considered a suspect. Moreover, two months after the incident, Mr. Kim was incarcerated for stealing a dog and sold his car right after being imprisoned. All these timelines coincidentally aligned perfectly. In 2015, a re-investigation was conducted due to the abolition of the statute of limitations on murder, known as the 'Tae-wan Law.' Prosecutor Park Kyung-seob, who was in charge of the case, stated, "This is a case that needs to fulfill the victim's, and the deceased's, grievances. Even if the same conclusion is reached again, I wanted to do everything possible."
During the reinitiated investigation, new questions began to emerge. A broad investigation into Mr. Kim's acquaintances revealed that Mr. Kim, who was in his mid-20s, had a girlfriend who was a third-year middle school student. This woman testified that she had been sexually assaulted near a reservoir, but continued the relationship. Another woman stated she had met Mr. Kim on the same online chatting site that Minji used. A pivotal clue was found in a diary that Minji wrote before her death, where it noted that she started her period on 'November 30.' Calculating the dates suggested that she was likely still menstruating at the time of the incident. It is generally not common sense for a woman to engage in sexual relations with a man she met for the first time during her period.
Following this, a fierce psychological battle unfolded between Mr. Kim and Prosecutor Park. Mr. Kim consistently feigned ignorance about unfavorable points and after the investigation, he exhibited common characteristics of lying criminals by reading and rereading the statements. During this time, Mr. Kim vividly remembered the day Minji died while meeting his nephew, raising suspicions about his alibi manipulation. Furthermore, a letter from a prison inmate, who revealed that Mr. Kim confessed to alibi manipulation to him, arrived for Prosecutor Park. It was also uncovered that Mr. Kim had asked the prison inmate if DNA could be detected when blood and semen mixed during a woman's period.
However, the police and prosecution needed decisive evidence. At this point, forensic scientist Professor Lee Jeong-bin discovered something remarkable while reviewing the investigative materials. The semen found in Minji's body was discovered without mixing with blood. Semen and blood would invariably mix with even the slightest movement. This indicated that the owner of the DNA was the murderer. Ultimately, on August 15, 2016, the prosecution charged Mr. Kim with rape and murder, and that day was also Minji's birthday. However, Mr. Kim, while testifying as a direct witness, continued to deny his crimes, prompting Jooheon to explode with anger, saying, "How shameless!" Later, Mr. Kim was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2017, revealing the truth 16 years after the incident. Jooheon expressed, "It feels refreshing," while Cha Ji-yeon emotionally remarked, "Thanks to those who worked hard, perhaps on Minji's birthday, she was able to resolve her grievances and return to her mother's embrace."
Immediately after the broadcast, various online communities and social media reacted with posts like, "Kkokomoo is interesting yet infuriating; the Dudeulgang episode features a conscienceless criminal," "I am thankful that today's Kkokomoo can solve cold cases due to the abolition of the statute of limitations," and "Watching Kkokomoo, I really get angry; how can such a person exist? No matter how lucky you think you are, everyone is smarter than you!"
Meanwhile, 'Kkokomoo' is a program in which three 'storytellers' share their insights with their respective 'story friends' in the most ordinary settings every Thursday at 10:20 p.m. on SBS.
[Photo] OSEN DB, SBS
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