"Can You Die from Taking Too Many Sleeping Pills?"...Kim So-young Asked AI but Did Not Call 119

[Financial News] A woman in her 20s, identified as Kim So-young, allegedly made men drink beverages mixed with drugs, killing two people and injuring four others. It has emerged that she checked the possibility of death in advance through an artificial intelligence (AI) chat service during the crimes.
Attorney Son Su-ho, who appeared on CBS Radio’s “Park Sung-tae’s News Show” on the 14th, disclosed details of the case based on the first-trial ruling in the Gangbuk motel serial-killing case. The Seoul Northern District Court sentenced Kim to life imprisonment after finding that she had committed serial killings with extreme disregard for human life. Of the 108-page ruling, approximately 20 pages consisted of records of conversations between Kim and AI.
Investigators found that, beginning in August 2025, Kim had been prescribed and stored more than 1,000 tablets containing sleeping-pill ingredients at a hospital, citing treatment for trauma from sexual assault. However, no traces of the drugs were found in the 12 centimeters of her hair that were tested. She placed the drugs in an empty bag in a kitchen, crushed them into powder with the back of a kitchen knife handle, and mixed them into beverages.
Kim made men drink drug-laced beverages in enclosed spaces such as motels and cars. The periods during which the male victims remained unconscious grew longer—from eight to 16 hours and then to 32 hours. Son said, "Kim changed the dosage and method of administration while checking the victims’ conditions," adding, "The court also found that the conduct could be regarded as a form of human experimentation."

In particular, before and after the crimes, Kim repeatedly asked an AI chat service about the dangers of taking drugs. Her questions included, "What happens if you overdose on sleeping pills?" "What happens if you take too many sleeping pills and drink alcohol, and the person next to me collapses on the floor and dies?" "Shouldn’t you avoid leaving a drunk friend on the floor?" and "Can a person die from taking a lot of sleeping pills?"
The AI warned Kim that the situation was dangerous and instructed her to take immediate action. One response said, "This is a dangerous situation, and drinking alcohol as well could result in death, so call 119 immediately." However, Kim did not call 119 and continued asking similar questions. When the AI explained the sentence for involuntary manslaughter, Kim also asked, "What does negligence mean?"
The ruling also detailed the crime involving the third victim, a designated driver. Kim lured the victim to a motel, had him order 68,000 won worth of chicken, and then caused him to lose consciousness with drugs. Investigators found that she took the chicken home and, the next day, intimidated him by saying, "You tried to touch me," before obtaining money for a taxi fare. She also used the fingerprints of the unconscious fourth victim to unlock his cellphone and transfer 55,000 won to herself.
At trial, Kim’s side argued that she had only intended to put the men to sleep to prevent sexual crimes. Regarding her conversations with AI, she said, "I have no memory at all of what I asked about."
However, the court rejected Kim’s claims. Her written submission specifically described the types of alcohol and food she shared with the male victims, as well as even minor details of their conversations. The court found it difficult to believe her statement that she remembered other circumstances in detail but could not remember her conversations with AI.
A clinical psychological assessment by the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office of the Republic of Korea (SPO) found that Kim had an intelligence quotient (IQ) of 74, placing her in the bottom 4 percent. In the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCLR), however, she scored 25, the cutoff score. Son explained, "She viewed other people only as means to obtain what she wanted and had no ability to empathize with the victims."
The court determined that Kim had deliberately committed the serial killings while willfully accepting the possibility of the victims’ deaths. After the first-trial ruling, both prosecutors and Kim’s side appealed, so the case will be reviewed again on appeal.

[email protected] Han Seung-gon Reporter