Alleged Gwangju killer wanted to kill another woman who reported him for stalking: Police

GWANGJU — Jang Yun-gi, the 23-year-old man accused of fatally killing a high school student late at night on the street in Gwangju, had originally intended to kill a woman who had reported him to police for stalking, according to investigators.

Police believe that after failing to locate the woman, who had rejected his advances and reported him to the police, Jang redirected his anger toward a teenage student he did not know.

Jang was transferred to prosecutors on Thursday under detention on murder charges for allegedly stabbing a 17-year-old high school girl to death.

Jang is accused of stabbing the student at about 12:11 a.m. on May 5 on a pedestrian path near a university in Gwangju's downtown Gwangsan District.

He is also accused of injuring a 17-year-old high school boy while the boy attempted to help the victim.

Police initially investigated whether the attack was a random crime, but concluded that it had been premeditated. 

Investigators also added charges of preparing to commit murder, saying Jang had planned to kill a Vietnamese woman in her 20s, who had previously worked with him at a part-time job.

Jang is suspected of threatening and sexually assaulting the Vietnamese woman after visiting her home in the early hours of May 3, two days before the killing, after she rejected his demands for a relationship, according to police.

The Vietnamese woman had been preparing to move to North Gyeongsang to escape from him when she spotted Jang wandering near her residence and reported him for stalking at about 8 p.m. that day, police said.

Police officers arrived at the scene and confirmed injuries on the Vietnamese victim's neck. The woman requested police protection until relocating.

Investigators believe Jang learned that he was reported for stalking through a warning text message sent by authorities. However, instead of returning home, he allegedly spent more than 30 hours driving around the Vietnamese woman’s home and workplace searching for her.

Police said that after failing to find the Vietnamese woman, who had already left the area, Jang searched for another target. At the time, he had already discarded his mobile phone in a stream to avoid being tracked by the police.

While driving to search for his target, Jang spotted the late victim walking alone and followed the student for about 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) before carrying out the attack, police said. Jang also allegedly attacked the high school boy, who ran to the scene upon hearing screams, with a knife. 

Jang later allegedly attempted to destroy evidence by abandoning his vehicle and weapon, as well as washing his bloodstained coat.

After the crime, Jang repeatedly switched taxis to evade police tracking and hid in an empty one-room apartment once used by an acquaintance, according to investigators.

He was eventually arrested in front of his home, where police had been waiting, about 11 hours after the attack, when he returned by taxi.

An additional knife was recovered at the time of his arrest, which police believe was reserved for killing the Vietnamese woman.

Investigators also found evidence on a secondary smartphone seized from Jang, indicating he had searched online for ways to escape while on the run.

Information about Jang, including mug shots and date of birth, was disclosed by the Gwangju Metropolitan Police Agency on Thursday morning.

Police had decided on May 8 to release his identity, but the disclosure was delayed for five days under relevant regulations after Jang refused to consent.

Jang has claimed the crime was impulsive, saying, “Life was no fun anymore, so I had been thinking about suicide before committing the crime. I wanted to take someone with me.”

While being transferred to prosecutors on Thursday, Jang remained silent about his possible motive and only said "sorry" when reporters asked how he felt.

Public outrage has continued to grow over the killing. Women’s organizations criticized attempts to frame the case as merely an impulsive or random crime and called for stronger safety systems and protections.

Student council members and student newspaper staff at high schools across Gwangju have also issued statements in recent days urging the court to impose the maximum possible sentence on Jang.

“The court must hand Jang the maximum possible sentence so that excuses such as diminished mental capacity or claims that the crime was impulsive will not be accepted,” students said.

As police transferred Jang to prosecutors on Thursday, authorities issued a statement saying, “We pray for the victim and express our deepest condolences to the bereaved family, who are suffering more than anyone else.”

“We also bow our heads in apology to citizens who must have felt deep shock and anxiety because of this incident,” the police added.

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.

BY CHOI KYEONG-HO, HWANG HEE-GYU [[email protected]]