Brutal Subway Murder Shocks Korea: Woman’s Dismembered Body Found in Suitcase
The June 6 episode of “Brave Detectives 4” revealed the investigation log of detectives who uncovered the truth behind this gruesome incident.
The case introduced by the KCSI began when a dismembered female corpse was discovered at a subway station, shaking the entire nation. It started with a station staff member’s report that a body had been found inside a suitcase in the restroom of the station. About an hour before the report, a man had dragged a suitcase past the turnstile, and red liquid was seen dripping from the floor, raising suspicions. A fellow staff member asked the man about the bag, and he strangely replied that it contained 40 kg of pork. Inside the suitcase were layers of garbage bags, blankets and clothes, and within them were dismembered parts—torso, both arms—believed to be a woman in her 20s or 30s, shocking everyone.
The staff assumed the man was a foreigner due to his broken Korean. In fact, the area near the station had an industrial complex with many foreign workers living nearby. The suspect was believed to be a Chinese national residing nearby. CCTV footage from about five hours before the discovery captured him purchasing a suitcase and garbage bags.
The investigation team ran local ads and created wanted posters using a capture from the CCTV, but it was difficult to get leads. While canvassing nearby homes, a resident reported that a Korean woman who lived alone next door had suddenly disappeared. When they entered her home, investigators found a hammer and bone fragments in the bathroom, bloodstained men’s clothing and the victim’s broken phone in a trash bin on the veranda, and a human leg inside a trash bag on the rooftop. DNA results confirmed the remains matched the missing woman.
Her immigration records showed that she had left for China three months earlier and returned the day before the body was discovered. Her Chinese boyfriend had been living in China for about seven months. Upon seeing the CCTV image, the boyfriend immediately identified the suspect as his friend. After being arrested, the suspect confessed he had an affair with the victim for two years, and upon failing to reach her, he became angry. He claimed he acted out of rage after seeing her with another man after her return to Korea. However, no evidence of other men was found, and it was revealed that the suspect had withdrawn 9.8 million KRW from the victim’s four bank accounts. He also lied or refused to reveal information about the undiscovered body parts, further infuriating the public. The suspect was ultimately sentenced to life imprisonment.
Meanwhile, “Brave Detectives 4” airs every Friday at 9:50 PM.
