A cold murder case in South Korea has taken a dramatic turn after a man confessed to murdering his girlfriend and concealing her body in cement. The shocking murder remained unsolved for 16 years until it was unexpectedly uncovered during maintenance work at the apartment where the incident occurred.

Details of the Cold Murder

The suspect, referred to as Mr. A in his 50s. He confessed to local police in South Korea that he killed his girlfriend during a heated argument in their studio apartment located in Geoje.

The incident occurred in October 2008, when Mr A hit the woman with a blunt object, resulting in her death. To cover up his crime, he placed her body inside a suitcase and buried it beneath layers of bricks and cement on the balcony of the apartment.

The body remained hidden for years until last month, when a maintenance worker, assigned to repair a leak, accidentally discovered the suitcase while drilling. The sealed conditions had partially preserved the remains, enabling authorities to identify them through fingerprint analysis. An autopsy subsequently confirmed that she died from blunt force trauma to the head.

Arrest of the Suspect Mr A

Following the discovery of the suitcase, police quickly identified Mr A as the prime suspect and arrested him on September 19 in Yangsan, where he had been living.

Although he was not present in the apartment when the body was found, investigators tracked him down and initiated interrogation. During this questioning, Mr A confessed to the murder. He explained that he killed his girlfriend during a heated argument over a romantic issue. He also admitted to disposing of her phone and the murder weapon in the sea near Geoje.

Who Was the Victim?

The victim referred to as B, was in her 30s at the time of her death and had limited interaction with her family. Her family did not report her missing until three years after her murder in 2011. When they tried to locate her, Mr A misled them into believing that she had left the city after a breakup.

With no physical evidence or leads, the case went cold and was classified as a missing person case. Mr A continued to live in the apartment for another eight years after the murder until he was arrested on drug charges in 2016. After his arrest, the landlord left the apartment vacant, using it for storage purposes.

Current Status of Ongoing Investigation On Cold Murder

Authorities are continuing their investigations and are expected to file murder charges against Mr A. Initially, they considered charging him with concealing a corpse, but the statute of limitations of that charge had expired. Investigators are examining other crimes related to his drug use. They plan to forward the case to prosecutors once their investigation is complete.

This cold case has raised significant concerns about the challenges of long-term missing person investigations. The case has also highlighted the critical need for prompt reporting. The revelation of the case provides closure to a long-unsolved mystery of the tragic loss of life 16 years before.