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 allegedly paid Lee to kill the woman. Yoo has admitted to meeting with Lee recently but has denied all charges.
Lee and Yoo's wife, surnamed Hwang, 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 (US$144,330) 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