Kim Seong-woo, 26, is accused of murdering his mother-in-law and abducting his wife, having approached the victim's residence 18 times prior to the crime.
On the morning of October 20, the Seoul Songpa Police Department transferred Kim Seong-woo to the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office on charges of retaliatory murder, retaliatory confinement, aggravated assault, and violations of the Stalking Punishment Act.
Kim is alleged to have stabbed his mother-in-law in her 50s to death early on October 11 at his in-laws' home in Munjeong-dong, Songpa District, and then forcibly took his wife to Yangyang County in Gangwon Province, where he held her captive.
Police confirmed through CCTV analysis that Kim approached the victim's residence approximately 18 times from September 16 until the day of the crime. Among these, nine instances were violations of a temporary restraining order issued by the court.
Evidence also indicated that Kim waited near his in-laws' home for about four hours while carrying a weapon before the crime. Although he claimed during police questioning that the murder was accidental, authorities believe it was motivated by retaliation for domestic violence reports.
The victim's family reported that Kim hired a private investigator to monitor the victim during the abduction. Kim reportedly acknowledged using the investigator during police questioning.
Prior to the crime, several police investigations into Kim were unsuccessful. The Gyeonggi Suwon Gwonseon Police Station obtained a search warrant for Kim on September 18, but attempts to execute it on September 22 and 28 at his workplace, and on October 6 at his home, failed because he was not present.
Kim was scheduled to appear at the police station on October 10 but postponed his appointment, committing the crime the following day. Although the victim had been provided with a smartwatch for emergency alerts, it was not functional at the time of the incident.
Authorities believe Kim's actions were retaliatory in nature, stemming from conflicts related to his wife's domestic violence reports and the termination of their marriage. On October 19, the Seoul Police Agency held a meeting to discuss the public disclosure of Kim's personal information, considering the severity and brutality of the crime, as well as public interest.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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