South Korea police reveal suspect in dismemberment case
AM730 · 2 SOURCESabout 4 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
South Korean police have decided to publicly disclose the identity, age and photographs of a Chinese national suspected of killing and dismembering a 25-year-old Chinese student in Gyeongsan, North Gyeongsang Province. The disclosure began on September 1 and will remain in place until October 1 after a review panel cited the brutality of the crime, the seriousness of the consequences, sufficient evidence and the public interest.
Key Points
- Police identified the 31-year-old suspect as Zheng Chang Sheng, a Chinese lecturer at the victim's university who taught anatomy and had previously taught the victim.
- Investigators said the victim was killed at the suspect's home in Hayang-eup, Gyeongsan, in the early hours of August 20 before her body was dismembered.
- Body parts were allegedly discarded separately in remote hills in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, and at a landfill in Gunpo, Gyeonggi Province, with only part of the remains recovered.
- CCTV footage reportedly showed the suspect changing into women's clothing, carrying a suitcase to Dongdaegu Station, and later switching off the victim's phone near the station
- The suspect faces five charges including murder, dismemberment and concealment of a body, and police said he had also reported the victim missing before his arrest last Tuesday
Why It Matters
The case is still developing because police said the suspect will be transferred to prosecutors by Friday, while the public disclosure of his details will remain online for a month. For Hong Kong readers, the case is a stark reminder of the risks faced by students studying overseas and of how foreign police may use public identification measures in major violent crime investigations.