Hwaseong Serial Murders

This case... it's truly a horrific story. It's recorded as the worst serial murder in Korean criminal history. From September 15, 1986, to April 3, 1991, over a five-year period, more than 10 serial murders occurred in Taean-eup, Hwaseong County, Gyeonggi-do. The perpetrator targeted women who were returning home alone late at night, sexually assaulting and then killing them. The most chilling aspect was the method of killing. Most victims were strangled using their own clothing - stockings, bras, socks, and the like. The perpetrator always hid in rice paddies or bushes, waiting. For 33 years... truly 33 years, they couldn't find the perpetrator. It became such a famous unsolved case that it was even made into the movie 'Memories of Murder.' You can't imagine how hard the investigators at the time tried. But there were limitations due to the undeveloped DNA analysis technology of that era. Then in 2019... a truly dramatic turn occurred. The perpetrator was identified through DNA re-analysis. It was a man named Lee Chun-jae. And he was already serving time for another murder case. When Lee Chun-jae confessed, it was truly shocking. The murders he admitted to numbered as many as 14. Not only the Hwaseong case but he had also killed women in other areas using the same methods. The most frightening thing was that he had lived normally for over 30 years. He got married, had children... no one knew he was a serial killer. He was even known as a model prisoner. Without the advancement of DNA technology, this case would have remained unsolved forever. But through the power of science, the truth was revealed after 33 years. Looking back now... how painful must it have been for the families during those 30 years? And how difficult must it have been for those who were wrongly suspected without knowing the real perpetrator? This case left us with many lessons. The importance of DNA evidence, the necessity of scientific investigation, and the power of persistent investigation... There are still many unsolved cases, but the Lee Chun-jae case also gives hope that someday the truth will be revealed.