Kim Hun, 44, the suspect in the stalking murder case in Namyangju, Gyeonggi, was found to have prepared the crime in a planned manner, including searching for ways to evade electronic anklet tracking before the offense.
According to a News1 report on the 24th, the Namyangju Police Station in Gyeonggi confirmed that Kim Hun, who killed a woman in her 20s, identified as A, after stalking her, had meticulously planned the crime in advance.
Police found that starting two days before the crime, Kim Hun scoped out the area around the victim's home and workplace to grasp her movements. In particular, a forensic analysis of his cellphone also found search records for "how to avoid electronic anklet tracking."
On the day of the crime, Kim Hun set out after preparing in advance an electric drill to break a car window, a weapon, and cable ties to subdue the victim, it was found.
At about 8:58 a.m. on the 14th, in a road in Onam-eup, Namyangju, he allegedly blocked the car of A, who had been in a past romantic relationship with him, broke the car window with the tools he had prepared, entered, and killed A.
With a prior sex-crime record, Kim Hun had been wearing an electronic anklet, but immediately after the crime he cut off the device and fled in a rental car, only to be arrested by police on a national highway in Yangpyeong County in about an hour.
At the time of arrest, he had consumed alcohol and drugs and had attempted self-harm, so he received hospital treatment. In a police interview, Kim Hun said he "went to seek to restore the relationship." But regarding the situation at the time of the crime, he said, "I don't remember," and refused to elaborate.
Before the incident, A reportedly found a location-tracking device suspected to have been installed by Kim Hun and reported it, and even moved her residence and workplace. A is believed to have asked police for help a total of six times.
However, as the crime was not prevented, some criticized that the police's follow-up measures were insufficient. In response, the Korean National Police Agency began an internal probe and placed the chief of the jurisdictional Guri Police Station on standby.
Police determined that Kim Hun committed the crime out of resentment over A's report and referred the case to prosecutors on a charge of retaliatory murder, which carries a heavier sentence than ordinary murder. Police are conducting a detailed analysis of the components of the drugs Kim took at the time of the crime and are continuing to investigate his additional movements.