'Gwangju High School Girl Murderer' Jang Yoon-gi Admits Sexual Assault Motive at Second Trial

Black Box Footage Secured by Prosecution Confirmed

Jang Yoon-gi (23), the murderer of a high school girl in Gwangju, admitted in court that the purpose of his crime was a sexual offense.

Jang Yoon-gi (23), the murderer of a high school girl in Gwangju, was transferred from the Gwangju Western Police Station to the prosecution on the morning of May 14. Photo by Yonhap News

On July 13, the 13th Criminal Division of the Gwangju District Court (Presiding Judge Lee Jeongho) held the second trial of Jang Yoon-gi, who was indicted and detained on charges including murder with the intent of rape under the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes.

Jang's defense attorney, who had reserved judgment on admitting "murder with the intent of rape" during the first trial, stated, "We admit all the charges." When the judge asked Jang if he agreed with his attorney's statement, he answered, "Yes."

Previously, Jang had claimed that the murder was an impulsive act, stating, "I had decided to commit suicide and wanted to take someone with me."

Jang postponed expressing his position during the first trial, saying he had not yet reviewed the black box footage from the car obtained during the prosecution’s additional investigation. He later viewed the footage and, according to reports, submitted a written statement to the court on July 10 acknowledging the sexual motive for the crime.

During this trial, the prosecution stated that they would submit additional evidence, including a video of the on-site forensic inspection of Jang's vehicle where a cable tie (a binding tool) was found, as well as a forensic report on a damaged sex doll discovered in his rented room.

However, the review of some evidence, such as the video of Jang’s crime, was conducted in private due to its graphic content and to protect the victim’s privacy.

Jang Yoon-gi was brought to trial on charges of attempting to kidnap a 16-year-old second-year high school girl for the purpose of sexual assault and then murdering her with a weapon at around 12:10 a.m. on May 5, on a pedestrian walkway in Gwangsan District, Gwangju, Jeollanam-do.

He is also accused of attacking a male second-year high school student with a weapon at the crime scene when the student tried to help the victim, and of stalking and sexually assaulting a Vietnamese woman, Ms. A (26), who was his coworker at a part-time job.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.