Korean true crime fan murdered stranger 'out of curiosity'

By TopTrendReportTv

November 26, 2023

Jung Yoo-jung, a 23-year-old with a fascination for crime shows and novels, was found to have scored high on psychopath tests, according to the police. She harbored a deep-seated curiosity about committing murder, which led her to use a tutoring app to connect with an English teacher. In May, she brutally murdered the teacher at her home, causing widespread horror in South Korea.

The severity of the crime led prosecutors to seek the death penalty, a sentence usually reserved for the most heinous crimes. They presented evidence that Jung, unemployed and living with her grandfather, had been searching for potential victims for a long time through the app. She reached out to over 50 individuals, showing a preference for female tutors who taught from their homes.

In her pursuit, Jung posed as a mother seeking English lessons for her high school child and made contact with a 26-year-old woman in Busan, whose identity remains undisclosed by the police. She arrived at the tutor's residence in a school uniform purchased online. Once inside, Jung unleashed a horrific attack on the teacher, stabbing her over 100 times, even after her death.

After the murder, she dismembered the victim’s body and disposed of parts in a remote area near a river, north of Busan. Her arrest was facilitated by a taxi driver who alerted the police about a customer with a blood-stained suitcase.

Investigations revealed that Jung had been researching methods of killing and disposing of a body online for months. Despite her meticulous planning, she made no attempt to evade CCTV cameras, which recorded her visits to the tutor's house.

During the trial, the judge of the Busan District Court remarked that the crime had instilled a deep-seated fear and distrust in the community. Jung, who admitted to the crime in June, sought a lesser sentence, citing mental health issues and hallucinations. However, the court dismissed her claims, noting the premeditated nature of the crime and inconsistencies in her statements. Initially, she claimed to have only moved the body, later alleging the murder occurred during an argument, before finally confessing her long-held desire to commit murder, influenced by crime shows and TV programs.

Although the death penalty is legal in South Korea, there has been no execution since 1997.