“Stock losses, afraid to die alone”: Man in his 30s who killed Japanese woman he met for the third time gives statement

[Financial News] Police have concluded that the man in his 30s who killed a Japanese woman in her 20s in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, planned and carried out the crime alone, and referred him to prosecutors in custody on a murder charge.
Cheonan Seobuk Police Station said on the 6th that it had referred A, who is suspected of murder, to the prosecution while in custody. A is suspected of killing B, a Japanese national, with a weapon at an officetel in Dujeong-dong, Seobuk-gu, Cheonan, at around 4:20 p.m. on the 28th of last month.
A, who was unemployed, first met B in Korea last September. After B re-entered the country in the middle of last month on a short-term stay status, A met her once more. The crime took place on the day of their third meeting.
During police questioning, A said, “I lost around 5 million won investing in stocks. My financial situation wasn’t improving, and I couldn’t picture a future for myself, so I decided to die. I was afraid to die alone, so I wanted to die with B.”
A reportedly had unrequited feelings for B, and the two were not in a romantic relationship. Investigators found no record of stalking-related reports or evidence that they had been in regular contact.
Police determined that A had planned the crime, including by preparing a weapon in advance, and killed B when she resisted on the day of the crime before fleeing to Jeonju, North Jeolla Province. A was apprehended at a lodging facility in Jeonju about eight hours after the crime.
Police investigated A’s movements before and after the crime and searched his residence to determine, among other things, whether his account matched his movements as he fled immediately after the crime.
They also investigated the possibility of sexual offenses, taking into account that the victim was found without her top on.
After analyzing A’s phone and conducting a profiler assessment, police referred him on a murder charge only. With no one else found to have helped with the crime, they concluded that A had planned and carried it out alone.
At the request of the victim’s family, police did not disclose the specific circumstances of how the two met.
[email protected] Ahn Ga-eul Reporter