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Prosecutors indict Gangbuk motel murder suspect

Published: 10 Mar. 2026, 19:58

Mug shots of Kim So-yeong, a woman accused of giving drug-laced drinks to her victims at motels in Gangbuk District, northern Seoul, is provided by the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on March 9. [YONHAP]

Prosecutors on Tuesday indicted a woman accused of drugging three men at motels in northern Seoul, killing two and injuring one.

The Seoul Northern District Prosecutors' Office sent the suspect, identified as Kim So-yeong, to trial on charges of murder, causing injury with a dangerous method and violating the Narcotics Control Act.

Prosecutors said the crimes took place between mid-December of last year and Feb. 9. Kim allegedly gave drinks containing benzodiazepine-based drugs to three men.

Two of the victims died, and the third received treatment and recovered.

According to investigators, Kim prepared for the crimes in advance. They alleged that she falsely claimed to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder to obtain prescriptions for sleeping pills and mixed the medication into hangover relief drinks, which she then gave to the victims.

Prosecutors believe that Kim used the drugs to avoid conflict with the men or overpower them, and that she committed the crimes to satisfy her material desires and financial needs after a turbulent childhood hindered her emotional and social development.

In an earlier psychopathy assessment conducted by police, Kim scored 25 out of 40 points, falling within the psychopathy range.

“We will respond strictly to violent crimes with abnormal motives that target unspecified members of the public,” a prosecution official said.

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 JUNG SI-NAE [[email protected]]