CONTENTS
- 1. The Gwangju High School Girl Murder Case, What Went Wrong
- - The Process by Which a Stalking Crime Escalated Into a Violent Crime
- 2. The Criminal Charges at Issue in This Case
- - The Applicable Charges and the Legal Issues Under Review
- - The Problem of the Target Having Been Changed
- 3. Responses That Victims Need When Facing Stalking or Threats to Kill
- - Securing the Victim's Personal Safety
- - Criminal Procedure and the Matter of Securing Evidence
- 4. Assistance From Daeryun Law Firm LLP
- - Assistance From Daeryun Law Firm LLP
1. The Gwangju High School Girl Murder Case, What Went Wrong
This case continues to cause social shock in that circumstances of stalking directed at a specific victim and a process of preparing for the crime were revealed together.
In particular, the police believe that the suspect changed his target when he could not find the victim he had originally been after, and the pattern in which stalking crimes escalate into violent crimes has therefore emerged as an important issue.
The Process by Which a Stalking Crime Escalated Into a Violent Crime
According to the police announcement, the investigation found that the suspect, Jang Yun-gi, had asked a Vietnamese woman whom he ordinarily knew to enter into a relationship with him and, after being rejected, repeatedly attempted to approach her.
Jang subsequently purchased a weapon and then loitered around the victim's residence and workplace, and the police consider this conduct to constitute a deliberate process of preparing for the crime.
In particular, it is reported that, out of concern over Jang's approaches, the victim had filed a stalking report and requested personal-protection measures.
It has been confirmed that, when Jang failed to find the woman he was originally looking for, he spotted a high school girl returning home alone at a location about 1 km away and changed his target.
Jang is in fact suspected of having followed the victim's route, committed the crime with a weapon at a deserted location, and gone on to launch a further attack against a male student who had rushed to help the victim.
In addition, the police are conducting the investigation on the view that, although the suspect has continued to assert that the offense was impulsive even after the crime, the likelihood of a premeditated crime is high in light of the process of preparing for the crime and his movement route.
2. The Criminal Charges at Issue in This Case
In this case, not only the crime of murder but also attempted murder, preparation for murder, and circumstances of stalking are at issue together.
In particular, the police are focusing on the circumstances in which the suspect prepared a weapon against a specific victim and repeatedly approached her.
The Applicable Charges and the Legal Issues Under Review
Applicable Charge | Level of Punishment |
|---|---|
Crime of murder | Death, life imprisonment, or imprisonment for not less than 5 years |
Where one prepares for or conspires with the intent to commit murder | Imprisonment for not more than 10 years |
Stalking | Imprisonment for not more than 3 years or a fine not exceeding 30 million won |
Stalking using a weapon | Imprisonment for not more than 5 years or a fine not exceeding 50 million won |
The victim had already filed a stalking report with the police, and it is reported that the police, along with personal-protection measures, sent a warning message.
Article 2 of the Act on Punishment of Crime of Stalking defines acts such as approaching against the other party's will, loitering around the residence, persistent contact, and checking the other party's location as acts of stalking.
In this case as well, circumstances such as repeated visits to the victim's residence, loitering around her workplace, and continuous tracking are being mentioned, so the connecting structure between stalking crimes and violent crimes is also being examined as a major issue.
The Problem of the Target Having Been Changed
The part of this case that is mentioned as especially shocking is the fact that, when the suspect could not find the victim he had originally been looking for, he changed his target to a completely unrelated third party.
In particular, the fact that, in the course of targeting a specific victim, the crime expanded even to a completely unrelated third party is one of the reasons this case is described as showing a pattern different from a mere impulsive offense.
In addition, the fact that a further attack was carried out even against the student who had tried to rescue the victim is also being cited as a circumstance demonstrating the dangerousness and aggressiveness present at the time of the crime.
3. Responses That Victims Need When Facing Stalking or Threats to Kill
The victim had already filed a stalking report and requested personal-protection measures.
The police, however, are reported to have secured circumstances indicating that the suspect continued to search for the victim thereafter.
The fact that, in the course of searching for a specific victim, the crime expanded even to a completely unrelated third party is mentioned as a part that again demonstrates the risk of repeated-approach crimes escalating into violent crimes.
Securing the Victim's Personal Safety
Response by the Victim's Side | Key Content |
|---|---|
Requesting personal protection | Responding to the risk of repeated approaches and further offenses |
Managing movement routes | Minimizing exposure of residence and workplace locations |
Sharing with those nearby | Sharing the dangerous situation with family and acquaintances |
Securing an emergency reporting system | Preparing to respond immediately when a dangerous situation arises |
Where circumstances of stalking or threats to kill exist, the victim should also prepare to address the matter of securing personal safety.
In particular, recent cases have shown repeated loitering around the residence, checking of commuting routes, and approaches during late-night hours occurring together, so the victim too needs to reduce exposure of his or her daily range of activity and to continuously record circumstances of repeated approaches.
In addition, because there are also cases in which the perpetrator's manner of approach gradually becomes more aggressive or circumstances of carrying a weapon appear together, whether to request police protective measures or personal protection should also be examined.
Criminal Procedure and the Matter of Securing Evidence
Materials to Be Secured | Key Content |
|---|---|
CCTV footage | Confirming the time of approach and the movement route |
Messenger and call records | Circumstances of repeated contact and threats |
Location-related materials | Records of approaches near the residence and workplace |
Report history | Records of police reports and protective measures |
In stalking or threat-to-kill cases, the circumstances of repeated approaches and threats themselves are often examined as important factors in the course of criminal proceedings.
In particular, where repeated contact, location tracking, and loitering around the residence continue, the manner of approach and the circumstances of contact themselves may be treated as core issues, so the related materials should be continuously secured and managed.
4. Assistance From Daeryun Law Firm LLP
In cases such as the Gwangju high school girl murder case, where repeated approaches, location tracking, and circumstances of carrying a weapon appear together, the matter of the victim's personal safety and the criminal procedure response often proceed at the same time.
Accordingly, from the victim's standpoint, securing personal safety, organizing evidence, and responding to criminal proceedings should be prepared together.
Assistance From Daeryun Law Firm LLP
Area of Response | Key Assistance Provided |
|---|---|
Criminal procedure response | Criminal complaints and accusations, assistance with the victim's statement, response to investigative agencies, and submission of written opinions |
Stalking and violent-crime response | Analysis of circumstances of repeated approaches and threats, and review of the risk of approach |
Digital evidence analysis | Organizing and analyzing CCTV, messenger, call-record, and location-related materials |
Linkage with the security center | Personal protection, management of movement routes, and on-site security service support |
Drawing on its experience in handling stalking and violent-crime cases, Daeryun Law Firm LLP carries out criminal complaint and accusation procedures, responses to investigative agencies, and the organization of evidentiary materials.
In addition, comprehensively reviewing the dangerousness of a case and the circumstances of approach, the firm, where necessary, forms a task force of 1 to 20 members and provides assistance so that the victim's personal safety and the criminal procedure response can be carried out together.
Through collaboration with the 🔗Security Center, the firm also arranges victim security services in situations where repeated approaches, location tracking, or concerns over retaliation exist.
If you need legal assistance, you are welcome to review the response direction suited to your situation through a 🔗legal consultation booking.
