Man in His 50s Who Killed a “15-Year-Old Girl” Close to His Son at a Lodging Facility... “Continues to Refuse to Speak”

Discarded knife and phone after the crime
Police to bring in a profiler
"Exact motive for the crime remains unknown"

Police have sought an arrest warrant for a man in his 50s who was arrested on suspicion of killing a 15-year-old girl in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul.

A police cordon is in place at the scene of the murder of a teenage girl in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, on the 11th. Photo by Park Hosu

The Seongbuk Police Station in Seoul said on Nov. 12 that it had sought an arrest warrant for the man, identified as A, on suspicion of murder. According to police, A was arrested on Nov. 11 on suspicion of killing B, a 15-year-old girl, at a short-term rental accommodation in Jeongneung-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, at around 1:40 a.m. Police responded to a 112 emergency call received at around 1:25 a.m. that day and found B already dead from stab wounds.

According to police, A's movements before and after the crime were as follows: On the afternoon of Nov. 10, he bought a knife and charcoal briquettes at two household goods stores in Incheon. He then arrived at the accommodation, where the crime took place, at around 5:17 p.m. and went inside with B, who had arrived earlier and was waiting outside. Investigators found that A left the accommodation alone at around 8:30 p.m., wandered nearby, and then discarded a paring knife and a damaged mobile phone. Police are analyzing CCTV footage and other evidence to establish how the two met and track their movements before and after the crime.

Immediately after the crime, A reportedly called an acquaintance and said that he had killed B and planned to take his own life. A document believed to have been written by A and three empty soju bottles were found at the scene. The document reportedly stated that C, a woman in her 20s who was in a common-law relationship with A, had no connection to the theft. Investigators confirmed that an acquaintance of A had booked the accommodation.

A was heavily intoxicated when he was arrested. Police reportedly tried to question him on the morning of Nov. 12, following an attempt the previous day, but he refused to make a statement. Police have brought in a profiler to investigate the motive and circumstances of the crime. They plan to conduct an autopsy on B's body on Nov. 12 and have also said they will seek an arrest warrant for A.

Meanwhile, B was of middle school age but had not been attending school, according to investigators. She had often run away from home and, after several police reports related to family problems, had been living at a youth shelter since early this year. She reportedly moved between shelters in Seoul and other regions.

Investigators believe B was close to A's son, D. B's parents filed a complaint, alleging that D had sexual relations with their daughter. In March, the Nowon Police Station in Seoul sent D to prosecutors without detention on suspicion of statutory rape of a minor. The case was transferred to the Western Seoul District Prosecutors' Office, where the investigation is ongoing. The statutory rape provision applies to adults aged 19 or older who have sexual relations with someone aged 13 to under 16, regardless of whether the younger person consented.

D was also indicted on suspicion of stealing valuables from three men under the pretext of arranging paid dates. On Oct. 15, the Seoul Western District Court sentenced D, who had been indicted for theft, to six months in prison, suspended for two years. According to the ruling, D arranged to meet men through a chat app and stole cash and foreign currency from them while they were showering at lodging establishments. D is reportedly being held in custody in connection with a separate theft case.

Police are investigating the motive and circumstances of the crime, including the possibility that A killed B in connection with his son's sexual offense case. However, the exact motive has not yet been established.

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