One of three arrested suspects in a recent kidnapping and murder of a woman in Seoul apologized to the victim Sunday, as the case was transferred to the prosecution.
Seoul's Suseo Police Station sent suspects Lee Kyeong-woo, Hwang Dae-han and Yeon Ji-ho to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office for further investigation and indictment on charges of kidnapping the 48-year-old woman from Seoul's Gangnam district on March 29 and killing her the following day.
As he left the police station around 2 p.m., Lee said: "I'd like to offer my sincere apology to the victim in this case, and I pray for the repose of her soul. I am also really sorry to her family for the irreparable scars this has caused."
Lee, who is believed to have plotted the murder, with Hwang and Yeon executing the plan, also apologized to his own family but did not answer questions on when he first started planning the murder.
Yeon claimed he was offered a little over 300 million won (US$227,890) to get in on the act.
"I only got involved after Hwang Dae-han and Lee Kyeong-woo said I could also get killed because I knew what was going on," Yeon said, adding he didn't murder the woman himself.
Hwang, on the other hand, kept mum as he left the station.
Police have also arrested a man, surnamed Yoo, suspected of being the mastermind behind the case.
Yoo and his wife, also surnamed Hwang, allegedly paid Lee to kill the woman. Yoo has admitted to meeting with Lee recently but has denied all charges.
On Sunday, police said they will apply for an arrest warrant for Yoo's wife, Hwang, for allegedly paying Lee to carry out the murder.
Police said Lee proposed killing the victim and her husband in a meeting with the Yoo-Hwang couple, and the couple paid him 70 million won in return.
The three also discussed stealing cryptocurrency from the victim, police added.
According to police, Lee gave 13.2 million won to Hwang Dae-han, his friend dating back to university, to begin plotting the abduction and murder. Hwang used that money to plan the crime and recruit Yeon as an accomplice, police said.
Lee and Hwang, Yoo's wife, have known each other since 2021 through their cryptocurrency investment, with the murdered victim also involved.
After the digital currency fell sharply in February 2021, Lee, the victim and other investors believed Hwang manipulated the token's price. They extorted 190 million won worth of cryptocurrency coins from her.
Lee and the victim were investigated by police for blackmailing Hwang, though only Lee was transferred to the prosecution for further investigation.
Police believe Lee and the Yoo couple reconciled, but the latter and the victim had since been involved in civil suits over the investment.
Source: Yonhap News Agency