Jeong Sung-jin killed six in Seoul arson and murder
On October 20, 2008, a 30-year-old resident named Jeong Sung-jin set fire to his room in a multi-tenant boarding house in Seoul’s Gangnam district before attacking fleeing occupants with a weapon, resulting in six deaths and seven injuries, according to an archival retrospective published by mt.co.kr.
Jeong Lived in Poverty Before Moving to Seoul
Jeong lived in a single-person, one-pyeong room with a monthly rent of 170,000 won starting in September 2003, mt.co.kr reported. Born in Hapcheon, South Gyeongsang Province, in 1978, Jeong grew up in an unfortunate family environment, suffered bullying during his school years that led him to attempt an extreme choice as a middle school student, and later worked as a karaoke bar employee and multi-level marketing worker after graduating from high school. After being discharged from the military, he moved his residence to Seoul and made a living as a motorcycle delivery worker and parking attendant. Over the four years preceding the attack, he accumulated severe financial burdens, including unpaid rent, a 1.5 million won fine for violating the Homeland Reserve Forces Act, 600,000 won in overdue mobile phone bills, and a 3 million won medical bill for a varicose vein procedure.
The Attack at the Gangnam Boarding House
On the morning of October 20, 2008, Jeong doused his third-floor room with gasoline and ignited it at approximately 8:15 a.m., mt.co.kr reported. Five occupants died from stab wounds, and a sixth victim died after jumping from a third-floor window to escape the flames and the attacker, during a hellish ordeal that lasted for over 30 minutes until police and firefighters arrived. Seven others sustained injuries. All 13 casualties were women, including a university student working to pay tuition, a 40-year-old supporting family members independently, and a 50-year-old Chinese national working long daily hours to fund her son’s medical treatment.
Police Arrest Jeong for Arson and Murder
Police apprehended Jeong in a fourth-floor storage room after noticing his suspicious attire during rescue operations, mt.co.kr reported. During police questioning, Jeong stated, I suffered great psychological pain because I was ignored by the people around me, and even thought about suicide,
and added, I had no money to pay the boarding house monthly rent, fines, and cell phone bills, so I committed the crime thinking,
Prosecutors charged him with arson of a inhabited building, arson resulting in death, and murder. During the trial, his defense cited diminished capacity due to depression, but the Seoul Central District Court sentenced him to death in May 2009, citing the premeditated and brutal nature of the crimes and a lack of potential for rehabilitation. Jeong did not appeal the ruling. He remains incarcerated as one of South Korea’s 52 unexecuted death row inmates, as the nation has not carried out an execution since December 1997.What’s the point of living like this?
