South Korean ⁢Man Arrested for Murdering Girlfriend 16 Years Ago

A 58-year-old South Korean man has been arrested‍ for ‍murdering his girlfriend 16 years ago after her body was‌ found hidden in a bag and ⁣plastered over with cement during repair work.

Arrest and Investigation

Geoje City Police and the⁢ Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency announced the arrest of a 58-year-old man for murdering ​his live-in girlfriend in 2008.

According to the suspect’s statement, he had been living with his girlfriend for about five‌ years in an apartment in⁣ Geoje ⁤City before⁤ a fight started on October 10, 2008. The man is accused ‍of hitting ‌the victim with a hard object, resulting in her death at the age of 30.

The suspect then put the body in ​a suitcase ‌and hid it on an outdoor balcony next to the roof of the building. He built a brickwork⁣ to cover ⁢the suitcase and⁣ poured cement over it to avoid exposure.

Discovery of the Body

The incident ‍was revealed again 16 years later when the owner of the building found⁢ a suitcase containing a body while being dismantled to⁢ prevent water leakage.

An investigation revealed that the victim had little⁤ contact with her family,⁣ which meant ⁢that a missing person’s report was not filed until three years⁢ after her death in 2011. At that time, police found no evidence of foul play, ⁤and the suspect claimed they had separated.

Re-Investigation and Arrest

After the body was found, the police re-investigated the case⁤ and⁢ managed to identify the ​victim as a woman who had been reported missing in 2011 through an autopsy. The police concluded that the woman had ​died of⁣ blunt force trauma to the head ⁣and later named the man as a ‍suspect.

The suspect was arrested at his home in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province, on charges of murder. During ⁣the investigation, the suspect admitted to killing his girlfriend and also faces additional drug charges after the⁤ police discovered that he was using methamphetamine at the time‍ of his arrest.

Aftermath

According to the police investigation, the suspect continued to live in the same residence where the body was hidden for eight years after the murder until he moved out in 2016. After the suspect left, there were no other tenants staying⁢ in the room in⁤ question, and the ⁤owner of the room used that room⁢ as a storage area.

The police will⁢ complete their investigation and refer the matter‌ to prosecutors to prosecute within‍ the next few days.