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Medical student nabbed for alleged murder of girlfriend

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A medical student in his 20s accused of stabbing girlfriend to death attends a pre-trial detention hearing at a Seoul court.  Yonhap

A medical student in his 20s accused of stabbing girlfriend to death attends a pre-trial detention hearing at a Seoul court. Yonhap

Personal details of suspect spread online
By KTimes

A 25-year-old medical student, identified only by pseudonym A, is suspected of having brutally killing his girlfriend on the rooftop of a 15-story building in Seocho-dong, Seoul.

The crime occurred around 4 p.m. on May 6, with the police swiftly apprehending the suspect following an emergency call about a potential suicide attempt at the scene.

According to police reports, A repeatedly stabbed his girlfriend, 25, leading to fatal injuries. The distressing event unfolded when authorities received a tip-off at approximately 5:20 p.m. that a man was threatening to jump from the building's rooftop. Upon arrival, they managed to rescue A before immediately placing him under custody.

During his court appearance for a pre-trial detention hearing, the suspect faced a barrage of questions from the press, but remained silent. However, when asked if he had anything to say to the victim's family, he briefly responded, "I'm sorry."

As the case has gained significant media attention, various details about the suspect, including his name, educational background, the medical school he attends, and his photograph, have been circulated online.

The suspect, a student at a prestigious medical school in Seoul, had previously achieved a perfect score on the national college entrance exam.

The rapid spread of A's personal information is raising questions about privacy and the impact of public disclosure on legal proceedings. The local community and online observers are now grappling with the complexities of this tragic event, as they await further developments in the investigation.

Personal details of the suspect are exposed online. Captured from social media

Personal details of the suspect are exposed online. Captured from social media

Complex fallout of murder

The murder case has not only shocked the nation, it has also sparked a reevaluation of the assailant's past public persona. Prior interviews where A was celebrated for his academic achievements have resurfaced, including those conducted by local government bodies and appearances on YouTube channels while he was in medical school.

These also featured comments from his parents and posts A authored for a university mentoring program, alongside activity on his personal social media accounts. Notably, his social media profile picture included the victim, which has fueled considerable public outrage, particularly as these accounts are now private.

On anonymous university forums, fellow students have come forward with claims that A struggled to adapt to medical school life, with allegations of inappropriate behavior during his clinical rotations last year.

This has led to a broader denunciation of medical students, with online comments harshly critiquing the perceived apathy of future doctors towards human life, tarnishing the reputation of the medical student community at large.

In response to the escalating situation, police applied for an arrest warrant on May 7. Investigations revealed that A had premeditated the murder, purchasing the weapon at a large supermarket in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, just hours before committing the act. During police interrogations, A reportedly stated that the murder was spurred by his girlfriend's suggestion that they break up.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, sister publication of The Korea Times, was translated by generative AI and edited by staff of The Korea Times.




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