Prosecutors are reviewing whether to disclose the identity of a woman in her 20s, identified as Kim, a suspect in the "Gangbuk motel serial murder case."
The Seoul Northern District Prosecutors' Office said on the 26th it is reviewing convening the Identity Information Disclosure Deliberation Committee to discuss whether to disclose Kim's identity. A prosecution official said, "We are at the stage of reviewing various requirements in the law."
Under the Serious Crimes Identity Disclosure Act, which took effect in Jan. 2024, the seriousness of the crime, sufficiency of evidence, the public's right to know, and the wishes of the victim must be considered comprehensively.
The bereaved family of a victim is also demanding disclosure of Kim's identity. Attorney Nam Eon-ho, the legal representative for the family of victim A, the second person to die due to Kim's crime, said in a press release that day that this case is "one of the most cold-blooded and premeditated serial crimes our society has experienced."
Nam said, "The suspect's crimes are substantiated by overwhelming evidence, including closed-circuit (CC) TV, a confession, forensic data, and ChatGPT search records, and the possibility of future occurrences still exists," adding, "Even so, we cannot accept that police have set an internal policy not to disclose the identity."
He also said, "Some internet users are praising the suspect's appearance and posting comments like 'not guilty because she's pretty,' making light of the crimes," adding that even posts baselessly slandering the victims are circulating.
Nam argued that Kim prepared the crimes in advance, the harm is severe, and additional offenses were revealed while currently investigating, saying, "All extenuating (circumstances and situations) should be strictly reviewed and the suspect should be sentenced to the maximum penalty under the law."
He added that for online secondary harm acts that slander victims or defend or make light of perpetrators, they plan to pursue all civil and criminal liabilities, including for defamation of the deceased and insult.
Kim was handed over to prosecutors on the 19th in custody on charges of murder and violating the Narcotics Control Act for allegedly causing two men to die in succession with drug-laced drinks. Police additionally confirmed on the 24th of last month that Kim handed a drug-laced drink to another man, causing loss of consciousness, and are investigating.