SEOUL — 2004 · Serial Murder
The "Raincoat Killer" Serial Murders
A series of murders committed in Seoul between September 2003 and July 2004 that left 20 people dead. The perpetrator first targeted elderly people in homes in affluent neighbourhoods and, from spring 2004, women working at massage parlours. On 15 July 2004, the owner and staff of a massage parlour whose employees had gone missing caught him in a trap and handed him to police. The Seoul Central District Court sentenced him to death for 20 murders on 13 December 2004, and the Supreme Court upheld the verdict on 8 June 2005. As South Korea has carried out no executions since 1997, he remains in prison. The case also drew criticism over police lapses in custody and was the subject of a 2021 documentary series.
- Date
- 2004
- Place
- Seoul, South Korea, Seoul, KR
- Category
- Serial Murder
- Case Status
- Solved
- Coordinates
- 37.5665, 126.9780 ↗
Timeline of Events
- September 2003The first murders took place in homes in Seoul.
- March 2004The perpetrator began targeting massage parlour workers.
- 15 July 2004Massage parlour staff caught him and handed him to police.
- 13 December 2004The Seoul Central District Court imposed the death penalty.
- 8 June 2005The Supreme Court upheld the verdict.
Sources
- VOA — South Korean court orders serial killer's execution voanews.com ↗
- The Korea Herald — Korean serial killer 'haunted by victims' ghosts' koreaherald.com ↗
- Wikipedia — Yoo Young-chul en.wikipedia.org ↗
- Wikipedia (EN)
- VOA News
- The Korea Herald
Source grade A: several independent sources, at least one an official record or reference work. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
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🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.