Hwaseong serial murders

The Hwaseong serial murder (Hangul: 화성 연쇄 살인 사건; Hanja: 華城連鎖殺人事件; RR: hwaseong yeonswae sarin sageon) is an unsolved serial murder case that occurred in the South Korean city of Hwaseong between September 15, 1986 and April 3, 1991.[1] In each case, a woman or girl was found bound and murdered. The murder is considered to be the most infamous in the modern history of South Korea and has been compared to the Zodiac Killer.[2]

History

The females, ages ranging from fourteen to seventy-one, were each found gagged and murdered over a four-year and seven-month period in the rural city of Hwaseong in Gyeonggi Province. Each woman was strangled to death with their own clothes. The evidence compiled led to a description of a man in his teens (around 20s or within), about 165 to 170 cm high, and having the blood type B based on forensic testimony.

The case is infamous within Korea for being the first truly identifiable strings of murders with a modus operandi. Police officers involved spent two million man-days on the case.[3] The total number of suspects also grew to enormous numbers, eventually ending with a total count of 21,280 individuals.[4]

In Korea, the statute of limitations for murder is fifteen years. The statute for the killings ran out in April 2, 2006.[4] However, police records are still kept because of the significance of the case.

In 2004, a female college student was murdered, sparking new interest in the Hwaseong serial murders, though the case also remains unsolved.[5]

Victims

Crime Date Location Victim Remarks
1 September 15, 1986 Hwaseong, Annyeong-ri (Now called Hwasan-dong) pastures Lee Wan-im (71 years old) Statute of limitations expired on September 15, 2001, at 12 am.
2 October 20, 1986 Hwaseong, Jinan-ri (Now called Jinan-dong) canal Park Hyun-sook (25 years old) Statute of limitations expired on October 19, 2001, at 12 am.
3 December 12, 1986 Hwaseong, Annyeong-ri (Now called Hwasan-dong) embankment Kwon Jung-bon (25 years old) Statute of limitations expired on December 11, 2001, at 12 am.
4 December 14, 1986 Jeongnam-myeon, Gwanhang-ri canal Lee Kye-sook (23 years old) Statute of limitations expired on December 13, 2001, at 12 am.
5 January 10, 1987 Hwaseong, Hwanggye-ri (Now called Hwasan-dong) rice paddy Hong Jin-young (19 years old) Statute of limitations expired on January 9, 2002, at 12 am.
6 May 2, 1987 Hwaseong, Jinan-ri (Now called Jinan-dong) hill Park Eun-joo (29 years old) Statute of limitations expired on May 1, 2002, at 12 am.
7 September 7, 1988 Paltan-myeon, Gajae-ri canal Ahn Gi-soon (54 years old) Statute of limitations expired on September 6, 2003, at 12 am.
8 September 16, 1988 Hwaseong, Jinan-ri (Now called Jinan-dong) house Park Sang-hee (14 years old) On July 27, 1989, Yoon-mo (22 years old) was arrested.
9 November 15, 1990 Hwaseong, Byeongjeom-dong (Now called Byeongjeom 1(il)-dong) hill Kim Mi-jung (14 years old) Statute of limitations expired on November 14, 2005, at 12 am.
10 April 3, 1991 Dongtan-myeon, Bansong-ri (Now called Dongtan 1-dong) hill Kwon Soon-sang (69 years old) Statute of limitations expired on April 2, 2006, at 12 am.

In Media

Several films and television shows are based on these murders.[2][6]

References

  1. ↑ Kyung-Hyun Nam (2006-04-01). "Hwaseong Killings Still Baffle Police". english.donga.com. Retrieved 2015-09-09.
  2. 1 2 Cho, Seongyong (2012-05-23). "A South Korean "Zodiac"". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved 2015-09-09.
  3. ↑ "“화성사건은 아직 끝나지 않았다” 당시 담당형사 책펴내" (in Korean). DongA Ilbo. 2003-09-08. Retrieved 2016-03-24. 연인원 200만명의 경찰이 투입됐고...
  4. 1 2 "화성연쇄살인사건 ‘살인의 추억’ 으로 묻히나" (in Korean). The Hankyoreh. 2006-04-01. Retrieved 2016-03-24.
  5. ↑ "Hwaseong Fears Return of Serial Killer". english.chosun.com. 2007-09-01. Retrieved 2015-09-09.
  6. ↑ Julie Jones (2015-08-26). "More Writers And Actresses Opt For Cable Dramas". KDramaStars. Retrieved 2015-09-09.
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