15-Year-old Girl Killed by 59-Year-old in Seoul Guesthouse

A 15-year-old girl was found killed in a Seoul guesthouse on November 10 after leaving a juvenile classification facility where she had given investigative statements regarding crimes linked to an adult acquaintance’s family, according to her bereaved family.

Before and during her time at the facility, A gave statements to police regarding theft and fraud cases involving 20-year-old C and 26-year-old D, who is C’s common-law partner. D also faces allegations of instructing A in prostitution and theft.

A had previously retracted her statements due to pressure from D’s side, according to the family. However, with outside contact cut off inside the facility, she began telling the truth and exchanged some 20 letters with her relatives, rebuilding her relationship with them.

The situation changed after A left the facility. On December 4, she retrieved her phone from police and allegedly resumed contact with D’s circle. Following a dispute with her family over the phone, A moved to a youth shelter on December 5.

Fearing the girl would be pulled back into criminal activity, her parents asked the court on December 5 and 6 to change her protective disposition, but the requests were denied. Five days later, on December 10, A was killed by 59-year-old B at a shared accommodation in Jeongneung-dong.

Encrypted messaging chats recovered from a Telegram group involving A, C, and D showed evidence of psychological control, including directives to run away and file false domestic violence complaints against her parents.

C instructed A in the chats, “Hit with your knee regardless of the front or side thigh,” and “You have to do it quickly before dad comes,” while D urged her on by saying, “You have to do it and leave unless there’s enough of a mark.”

The chats also revealed discussions about C mentioning “marriage” to evade criminal punishment for statutory rape involving a minor.

A’s family stated they requested restraining and communication orders from police when they filed a complaint against C for sexual offenses in January, and repeated the demand in June, but police did not accept the requests. Multiple missing persons reports yielded no separate safety measures, and police only provided the family with a smart watch after A was killed.

Police confirmed that B purchased a fruit knife and briquettes in Incheon on December 10 and entered the Jeongneung-dong guesthouse with A at around 5:17 p.m. B left alone about three hours later, discarding the weapon and a broken phone. The accommodation had been booked by D, and investigators are examining whether B killed A to cover up D’s crimes or if B was directly involved.

Because B has refused to provide statements, police plan to deploy a profiler and perform an autopsy on A’s body. The Seoul Northern Prosecutors’ Office requested an arrest warrant for B from the court.

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