Accused killer voiced violent fantasies about women years before Gwangju student murder trial, court hears
Prosecutors told a Gwangju court that the defendant had expressed a desire to kidnap and sexually assault teenage girls long before the killing of a 16-year-old student in May.
Jang Yun-gi, who is accused of killing a teenage high school student in Gwangju, is transferred to prosecutors at the Gwangju Seobu Police Precinct on May 14.NEWS1
Prosecutors in the trial of Jang Yun-gi, who is accused of killing a 16-year-old high school girl in Gwangju, argued on Monday that the suspect had harbored violent feelings toward women as early as his high school years.
The Gwangju District Court held the third hearing in Jang's trial on charges that included murder in the course of rape under the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes.
Jang was indicted after allegedly killing a high school student, Lee Chae-won, in Gwangsan District, Gwangju, at around 12:10 a.m. on May 5 in an attempt to commit a sexual crime. He is also accused of stabbing a male high school student who ran to the scene after hearing the victim's screams.
Monday's hearing focused on reviewing additional evidence submitted by prosecutors and examining witnesses.
The additional evidence included social media conversations Jang allegedly had with high school classmates and co-workers during his time as a public service worker.
The conversations showed that while in high school, Jang told acquaintances that he wanted to "use a car to kidnap teenage girls and sexually assault them," according to prosecutors.
Prosecutors argued that the conversations support their claim that Jang had intended to kidnap and sexually assault the high school student when he killed her.
The entrance of the National Office of Investigation in Seodaemun District, western Seoul, is seen on July 21, when prosecutors and police investigating allegations of misconduct related to the Jang Yun-gi murder case simultaneously carried out search and seizure operations at the agency.NEWS1
Jang's court-appointed lawyer argued that other evidence reflecting the defendant's personality during his school years should also have to be taken into consideration.
"We understand that school records showing the defendant had a relatively passive and reserved personality during high school have also been submitted as evidence," the lawyer said. "When the full context of the conversations is examined, the defendant was not the one initiating sexually explicit remarks but merely responding to others."
"We do not deny that the conversations took place, but we do not agree with the prosecution's interpretation of them,” Jang’s lawyer added.
The court later closed the proceedings to the public during the remaining evidence review and witness testimony, citing the brutality of the alleged crimes and the need to protect the victim's privacy.
Those called to testify included the parents of the victim and the 17-year-old male student who was seriously injured after being stabbed while attempting to help her.
A police officer charged with leaking investigative details and helping to tamper with key evidence in the Jang Yun-gi case leaves the Gwangju District Court after a pretrial release hearing on July 8.NEWS1
If the witness examination concludes as scheduled, the fourth hearing next month is expected to include questioning of the defendant.
Jang’s indictment also includes additional sexual offense charges. Prosecutors allege that Jang sexually assaulted a 26-year-old Vietnamese woman who had worked with him at a part-time job two days before allegedly killing Lee, and secretly filmed the body of an underage female while serving as a public service worker.
Prosecutors and police are also separately continuing to investigate allegations that Jang’s case received preferential treatment from the Gwangsan Police Station because Jang's father and uncle are serving as mid-ranking police officers. Authorities are also examining allegations that members of the original investigative team attempted to tamper with evidence.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
