A man in his 20s has been charged with murdering his girlfriend in Jincheon, South Korea, allegedly motivated by her retirement pay. Initially reported as a crime of passion following an argument, further investigation revealed evidence of premeditated murder aimed at financial gain.
According to Yonhap News, the Cheongju District Prosecutor's Office announced on October 13 that the suspect, identified as A, was arrested and indicted on charges of robbery and murder on October 12.
A is accused of strangling his girlfriend, identified as B, at their home in Jincheon County on September 15.
Initially, police charged A with simple murder based on his statement that he acted out of anger after an argument in which he insulted her parents. However, a forensic examination of his phone later uncovered new evidence suggesting that A had planned the murder to access B's retirement funds.
The prosecutor's office interrogated A based on the gathered evidence, leading to a confession that he had targeted B's retirement pay.
After the crime, A reportedly visited a mobile service provider to inquire about unlocking B's phone to transfer her retirement funds to his account. He also used B's credit card to make purchases.
The prosecutor's office requested additional investigations from the police based on A's confession and related evidence. Following this, police re-interviewed A and applied the charge of robbery and murder, resubmitting the case.
Robbery murder is defined as a crime committed when a person is killed in the process of stealing or seeking financial gain. Under Article 338 of the Criminal Code, the penalty for robbery murder can be death or life imprisonment, which is more severe than that for simple murder.
This case has raised questions about the investigative authority of the prosecutor's office and the procedures for supplementary investigations, especially after the office lost its investigative powers following the abolition of the prosecution.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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