In the middle of Gangnam, Seoul, an investigation led to the conclusion of a contract murder related to virtual currency investment. Three suspects, Lee Kyung-woo, Hwang Dae-han, and Yeon Ji-ho, were handed over to the prosecution regarding the kidnapping and murder case. Lee Kyung-woo, the main culprit, apologized to the victim in a press release. The police found that a couple involved with the deceased through coin investment, Mr. Yoo and Mr. Hwang, were behind the incident. They allegedly conspired to kill the victim and steal the coins. The conflict between Mr. Yoo and Mr. Choi began in late 2020. Yoo invested 100 million won in P Coin at the recommendation of Choi but lost the investment. In March 2021, Mr. Yoo and his wife believed that the coin was stolen because of Mr. Choi and continued civil and criminal lawsuits. Lee Kyung-woo first proposed the crime to the Yoo couple in September 2020, and the crime accelerated as the couple paid out 70 million won, including a down payment. The extent of Hwang’s involvement remains under investigation. The police plan to review the Yoo couple’s involvement as well.
◀ Anchor ▶
On the 29th of last month, in the middle of Gangnam, Seoul, the kidnapping and murder of a woman in her 40s, the police announced the results of their interim investigation today.
It was virtually concluded as a contract murder stemming from resentment surrounding virtual currency investment.
This is reporter Kim Min-hyung.
◀ Report ▶
The suspects in the kidnapping and murder case in Gangnam, Lee Kyung-woo, Hwang Dae-han, and Yeon Ji-ho, were handed over to the prosecution today.
The main culprit Lee Kyung-woo, who first stood in front of the reporters, bowed his head, saying he apologized to the victim.
[이경우/′강남 납치·살인 사건′ 주범]
“May the souls of the deceased refrain. I also want to express my sincere apologies to the bereaved families. sorry. ″
The police pointed out a couple, Mr. Yoo and Mr. Hwang, who had a relationship with the deceased victim Mr. Choi through coin investment, as behind the incident.
The police found that Lee Kyung-woo and Yoo’s couple conspired to kill Choi as well as Choi’s husband and steal the coins.
The police also applied for an arrest warrant for Mr. Hwang, the wife of Mr. Yoo, who was arrested earlier, on charges of instigating robbery and murder.
According to the police, the conflict between Mr. Yoo and Mr. Choi began at the end of 2020.
Mr. Yoo and his wife invested 100 million won in P Coin at the recommendation of Mr. Choi, but the coin price plummeted from January of the following year.
At the time, investors believed that the Yoo couple manipulated the market price and led to losses.
In March 2021, investors returned billions of coins after visiting the couple and protesting against them.
At this time, Mr. Yoo and his wife believed that the coin was stolen because of Mr. Choi, and then continued civil and criminal lawsuits.
[황 모 씨/투자자와의 통화 녹취]
″You can kill anything that kills. If I were really 10 years younger, I would have already set it on fire.”
In this process, Lee Kyung-woo first proposed the crime to Mr. and Mrs. Yoo.
In September of last year, he proposed to the Yoo couple, “Let’s kidnap Choi and steal his coins.”
Afterwards, the crime accelerated as the Yoo couple handed over 70 million won, including a down payment.
Around this time, 70 million won was withdrawn in cash from Mr. Hwang’s account, and in this case, it was divided and remitted to his wife’s account several times.
The police believe that the fact that Kyung-Woo Lee and Mr. Yoo met right after the abduction and then met again that afternoon is also evidence of “collusion.”
Hwang is now known to deny the allegations.
The police plan to intensively investigate the circumstances of the crime as soon as an arrest warrant for Hwang is issued.
In addition to the trio, including Lee Kyung-woo, the police plan to review plans to disclose the identity of the Yoo couple.
This is MBC News Kim Min-hyung.
Video coverage: Kim Shin-young / Video editing: Choi Moon-jeong
This tragic incident serves as a reminder of the dangers of getting involved in illicit activities, particularly those involving virtual currencies. As the investigation continues, we can only hope that justice will be served for the victim and her family. Let us all be vigilant and cautious in our dealings, both online and offline. May this serve as a warning and a call for greater responsibility in the use and handling of virtual currencies. Thank you for reading.