wanted posted Hwaseong murder

Yonhap





Warning: This post contains graphic details.

A South Korean man has admitted to killing nine women between 1986 and 1991 in what is known as the infamous Hwaseong murders.

During this time, nine women aged between 13 and 71 were raped and brutally strangled with their own clothing in the countryside 40 miles south of Seoul.

The cold case was considered one of South Korea's worst atrocities, and had lain dormant for decades until new forensic evidence emerged in September.

56-year-old Lee Chun-jae on Wednesday confessed to carrying out the murders, as well as five others, the Yonhap news agency reported.

He confessed from jail, where he is serving a life sentence for murdering and raping his sister-in-law in 1994, according to Yonhap.

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A South Korean man has admitted killing nine women three decades ago in a string of gruesome murders known as the Hwaseong serial killings.

The killings, which took place between 1986 and 1991, were one of the country's most mysterious unsolved crimes. They involved ten women aged between 13 and 71 brutally murdered in the countryside 40 miles south of Seoul.

The case is considered one of South Korea's worst atrocities, and had lain dormant for decades until new DNA evidence came to light this September.

Ban Ki-Soo

KBS News

On Wednesday, 56-year-old Lee Chun-jae confessed to carrying out nine of the murders and five additional murders unconnected to the Hwaseong series, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported.

The tenth murder had been carried out by a 22-year-old copycat, Yonhap reported, without citing any more details about the copycat's identity or time of arrest.

Lee confessed to police from jail — where he is currently serving a life sentence for raping and killing his sister-in-law in 1994 — after DNA tests came back as a positive match in four of the murder cases, Yonhap said.

However, Lee won't face charges over the historic serial killings because the 15-year statute of limitation has run out for each of the nine cases, CNN reported. The last one expired in 2006.

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hwaseong murders scene

KBS News

Senior police investigator Ban Gi-soo told media on Wednesday that Lee also confessed to 30 attempted or successful rapes of other women.

"He had a change of heart starting last week after criminal profiling experts developed a rapport with him after nine visits to his prison," Ban said.

"But we are still trying to resolve gaps in his old memories about exact dates, places and acts."

All nine of Lee's victims in the Hwaseong case were sexually assaulted before they were murdered, usually strangled with a piece of their own clothing like stockings or bras, Yonhap reported.

Lee began the spree after returning from compulsory military service in 1986, the news agency added.

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