A man in his 40s, who damaged a life-sized cutout of Lee Yoon-hee (then 29, from Jeonbuk National University's veterinary medicine program) who went missing 19 years ago, has expressed his grievances while admitting allegations to the police.
According to police and others on the 19th, Mr. A, who was recently referred to the prosecution on charges of property damage, stated during police questioning that he was angry because he was being made to look like the perpetrator of the disappearance case.
He reportedly revealed that he has endured severe stress over the past long period due to the incident.
Mr. A has been confirmed to be someone who attended the same department as Lee in the past.
Lee's family has been raising suspicions about the connection of Mr. A to the case, mentioning his actions since the early days of the disappearance.
Recently, cutouts of Lee were also placed on Mr. A's commuting routes and around his home.
In response, Mr. A is taking legal action by filing a suit against Lee's family for violations of the Act on the Punishment of Stalking Crimes.
A police official stated, 'The suspect has admitted all allegations related to property damage,' and added, 'Footage of the damage was also captured on closed-circuit television (CCTV), thereby clearly establishing the allegations, which led to the case being forwarded.'
Lee went missing after attending a semester-end gathering with about 40 professors and colleagues in the veterinary medicine program at Jeonbuk National University on June 5, 2006, and returning to a one-room flat located 1.5 km away from the meeting place the following early morning.
At that time, the police failed to preserve the scene of the disappearance and allowed Lee's friends to clean the one-room flat. A week later, someone accessed Lee's computer, yet the authorities were unable to clearly uncover this process.