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Family of victim in Gangbuk motel drug death demands authorities disclose suspect's identity

Published: 26 Feb. 2026, 18:34

The suspect of the Gangbuk motel drug deaths walks into the Seoul Northern District Court in Dobong District, northern Seoul, on Feb. 12. [NEWS1]

The devastated family of one of the victims in the Gangbuk motel drug deaths case is demanding that authorities disclose the identity of the suspect — currently known only by her surname Kim — as it is unjust that while the victims’ deaths dominate headlines, the suspect’s face remains hidden from public scrutiny.

“Why is the news focusing on the identities of the dead victims instead of revealing who the killer is?” the family said in a press release through their attorney.

Kim is accused of giving benzodiazepine-laced drinks to three men at motels in and around Gangbuk District, northern Seoul, killing two and causing one to lose consciousness. Kim was handed over to prosecutors on Feb. 19 on charges including murder and violating the Narcotics Control Act.

Police decided not to disclose Kim’s identity after an internal review.

“The suspect’s crimes have been substantiated by overwhelming evidence, including security camera footage, her confession, forensic data and her ChatGPT search history, and the potential for further offenses still exists,” said Nam Eon-ho, the legal representative of the family of the second victim who died in Kim’s alleged crimes, in Thursday's statement.

“It is difficult to understand why police have internally decided not to disclose her identity,” Nam continued, describing the case as “one of the most cold-blooded and meticulously planned serial crimes [Korean] society has experienced.”

A screenshot shows the Instagram account of a suspect identified only by the surname Kim in the Gangbuk motel murder case, as shared on an online community. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

“The social media account [suspected to belong to Kim] has gained tens of thousands of followers, with some users posting comments such as ‘Pretty, so not guilty,’ trivializing the crimes,” Nam stated. The comments have led to “defamatory posts targeting the victims.”

“The devastated families are forced to watch their loved ones’ deaths become a subject of ridicule,” Nam added. “Given the case’s unprecedented level of planning, brutality and severity of harm, as well as indications made during the investigation that the suspect committed additional offenses, [Kim] should face the maximum sentence under the law.”

Nam also warned that the families plan to pursue all possible civil and criminal legal action against online users who defame the victims or glorify the suspect, including charges, such as insults against a dead person, based on the Criminal Act.

Police are also investigating whether Kim gave another man a drug-laced drink, causing him to lose consciousness.

A psychopathy assessment has been conducted on Kim, and authorities are awaiting the results.

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 JEONG HYE-JEONG [[email protected]]