Chat records reveal how Gangbuk murder suspect allegedly lured man to motel before his death
Published: 06 Mar. 2026, 11:36
![A woman accused of fatally poisoning another person with a drug-laced drink at a motel in Suyu-dong, Gangbuk District, northern Seoul, appears for a pretrial detention hearing at the Seoul Northern District Court in Dobong District, northern Seoul, on Feb. 12. [NEWS1]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/03/06/44318d66-772f-43ac-831b-963feae41615.jpg)
A woman accused of fatally poisoning another person with a drug-laced drink at a motel in Suyu-dong, Gangbuk District, northern Seoul, appears for a pretrial detention hearing at the Seoul Northern District Court in Dobong District, northern Seoul, on Feb. 12. [NEWS1]
A woman suspected of killing two men by giving them drug-laced drinks at motels in Seoul’s northern Gangbuk District lured one of the victims to a room before the crime, according to chat records reported by state-broadcaster KBS on Wednesday.
Messages exchanged between the suspect, surnamed Kim, and an alleged victim show Kim persuading him to meet for drinks and later suggesting they spend time inside a motel room.
Kim first proposed having drinks together, according to the conversation. After they agreed to meet, she suggested booking a room at a lodging facility and eating there.
“I know a really good place, but it’s delivery only," Kim told the man in the messages. "Do you want to drink in the room?”
The man replied that it sounded good and asked for the name of the restaurant.
“It only does delivery, so we have no choice but to book a room and eat there. It’d be a bit weird to do a street mukbang outside," Kim said, using the Korean term for eating broadcasts.
Authorities later confirmed that the restaurant Kim mentioned offers dine-in service, raising suspicions that she deliberately tried to lure the man to an indoor location.
Investigators have also identified other indications that the crime may have been planned. While messaging the man, Kim repeatedly asked about his alcohol tolerance and whether he had sobered up, including questions such as “Can you drink well?” and “Have you sobered up already?”
Police said Kim also used generative artificial intelligence before and after the crime to search for information about drug effects and the risk of death.
According to police, Kim asked questions such as “What happens if you take sleeping pills with alcohol?” and “Can you die?"
Police believe the evidence indicates Kim acted with intent to kill.
Kim met the man on Feb. 9 and entered a motel in Suyu-dong, Gangbuk District, with him. About two hours later, she left the motel alone. The man was found dead the following day.
![The Seoul Northern District Court in Dobong District, northern Seoul, is pictured in this file photo from 2016. [YONHAP NEWS TV]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/03/06/5de8a7d4-e74f-4e4d-b9ad-d92b3d715013.jpg)
The Seoul Northern District Court in Dobong District, northern Seoul, is pictured in this file photo from 2016. [YONHAP NEWS TV]
Police allege that between mid-December last year and Feb. 9, Kim gave drinks containing benzodiazepine-type psychotropic drugs to three men. Two of the men died and one survived with injuries.
Authorities sent Kim to prosecutors on Feb. 19 on charges including murder, aggravated injury and violating the Narcotics Control Act.
Police determined during their investigation that Kim meets the criteria for psychopathy, a severe form of antisocial personality disorder. They forwarded the assessment to prosecutors on Wednesday.
Investigators are also examining other suspected cases. Police are conducting a preliminary inquiry into a similar incident in October last year, about two months before the earliest confirmed crime, in which a man collapsed while dining with Kim.
Meanwhile, prosecutors plan to convene a committee to decide whether to disclose Kim’s identity. Authorities have not announced the date of the meeting.
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 JANG GU-SEUL [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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