Kim Seong-woo, 26, who was arrested on charges of killing his mother-in-law and abducting his wife in Seoul's Songpa district, is being referred to prosecutors on the 20th.
Seoul's Songpa Police Station will refer Kim, who is in custody on charges including murder of a parent-in-law (an aggravated charge under Korean law covering killing of a lineal ascendant, including a spouse's parent) and aggravated unlawful confinement, to prosecutors the same day, police said.
Kim is accused of visiting his wife's family home in Songpa district at about 5:38 a.m. on the 11th, stabbing his mother-in-law, a woman in her 50s, with a weapon and forcing his wife into a vehicle.
Kim, who had been subject to a restraining order over domestic violence, carried out the attack 11 days after the order expired, targeting his wife, who was in the midst of divorce proceedings. His wife was released on a wooded hill in Yangyang County. Kim was arrested without a warrant in Yangyang, Gangwon State, later that day. His mother-in-law was found in cardiac arrest at the scene and taken to a hospital, where she died.
Police had focused their investigation on the possibility of premeditation, citing evidence that Kim waited near the scene for about four hours while carrying a weapon. Kim has largely admitted to the charges but continues to maintain that the attack was spontaneous, according to police.
The Seoul Eastern District Court issued an arrest warrant for Kim on the 13th, citing the risk that he would flee or destroy evidence.
The victim's family says Kim carried out the attack in retaliation for his wife's domestic violence report and her lawsuit to annul their marriage. Police are also examining whether the killing was an act of revenge.
The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency convened a committee on the disclosure of personal information the previous day and decided to release Kim's name, age and photograph. The committee found that the severity of the harm and the cruelty of the method were established and that there was sufficient evidence to prove the crime. It also said it weighed the public interest, including preventing repeat offenses and deterring crime.
Kim's name, mug shot and age have been posted on the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency website since 6 p.m. the previous day and will remain there for 30 days.
