Home > National > Social Affairs

Police disclose identity of man accused of murder in North Chungcheong

Published: 04 Dec. 2025, 12:01

The identity of Kim Young-woo, the suspect in the murder of a missing woman from Cheongju, was made public on Dec. 4. His name, age and photograph will be posted on the North Chungcheong Provincial Police Agency’s website for 30 days. [NORTH CHUNGCHEONG PROVINCIAL POLICE AGENCY]

CHEONGJU, North Chungcheong — Police on Thursday revealed the identity of Kim Young-woo, who is accused of fatally stabbing his former girlfriend on Oct. 14 and dumping her body in a wastewater treatment facility the next day.

The North Chungcheong Provincial Police Agency decided to disclose Kim’s name, age and photo on its website for 30 days, citing the severity and brutality of the crime. This is the first time police in the North Chungcheong region have released a suspect’s identity.

The decision was made Wednesday by a police committee tasked with reviewing the disclosure of suspect identities. The committee said it based its ruling on “the grave nature of the crime, its cruelty and the public interest in preventing further crime.”

Kim did not file an objection.

According to investigators, Kim met the victim at around 6:10 p.m. on Oct. 14 and traveled with her to a roadside parking lot in Munbaek-myeon, Jincheon County, North Chungcheong. The killing allegedly took place inside the victim’s parked car around 9 p.m. during an argument over a romantic dispute.

After the murder, Kim is believed to have moved the body into his own car and returned to work the next day. That evening, he allegedly dumped the victim’s body in a wastewater tank at a facility in Eumseong County.

A suspect is being arrested for allegedly murdering his long-missing ex-girlfriend, is escorted by police on Nov. 26 after revealing the location in Lake Chungju where he abandoned her car. [YONHAP]

To cover up the crime, Kim allegedly stashed the victim’s bloodstained vehicle at a location in Naesu-eup, Cheongju, two days after the murder, then moved it again to a business site in Eumseong, where it remained hidden for about a month. Police say he also installed a fake license plate on the car.

As police closed in, Kim reportedly abandoned the vehicle in Lake Chungju on Nov. 24. Following his confession to the murder, police recovered the body 44 days after the victim was first reported missing.

The victim’s family filed a missing-person report on Oct. 16, two days after the murder. Police initially treated the case as a suspected runaway, and have since faced criticism for the delay in recognizing it as a potential violent crime.

The investigation was officially reclassified as a serious crime case on Oct. 30, 15 days after the missing persons report. Kim was identified as the prime suspect around Nov. 11.

In response to criticism, police acknowledged the delay, saying, “In hindsight, we regret the amount of time it took.”

A psychological assessment showed that Kim did not meet the criteria to be classified as a psychopath under the checklist. Police plan to refer Kim to prosecutors later in the day.

At around 9:50 a.m. Thursday, Kim told reporters that the 43 days he spent on the run before being arrested felt "like hell" as he arrived at the Cheongju District Prosecutors’ Office.

“I knew this day would come,” Kim said when asked how he had felt during the days following the crime.

When pressed on whether he had prepared the weapon in advance or planned the killing, Kim replied, “No.” He then added, “I’m sorry. I don’t think there’s any way I can ask for forgiveness from the victim and her family.”

Wearing a hat and mask, Kim kept his head down and avoided showing his face as he was escorted by investigators.

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 JONG-KWON, KIM JI-HYE [[email protected]]