South Korea releases identity of man accused of stalking ex-girlfriend and murdering her in revenge

South Korean police have publicly disclosed the identity of Kim Sang-soo, a 52-year-old man accused of a brutal retaliatory murder. Kim allegedly stabbed to death his ex-girlfriend, a woman in her 60s, after she reported him for stalking.

The incident occurred on August 5 in Seongnam city, where Kim, using a weapon he had prepared in advance, attacked the woman he had dated for four years. Following the crime, Kim inflicted self-harm and was hospitalized for over a month. He was arrested upon his discharge and subsequently detained and transferred to prosecutors.

Initially investigated for murder, Kim's charges were upgraded to retaliatory murder as evidence emerged that he had planned the attack, including purchasing a weapon beforehand. Investigations revealed that Kim had been repeatedly contacting the victim via text and phone calls after she filed a stalking complaint against him in June. Despite being under investigation for stalking, Kim allegedly purchased the weapon and proceeded to attack the victim near her workplace.

Police believe Kim harbored resentment towards the victim for reporting him and meticulously planned the revenge killing. His personal information, including his name, age, and photograph, will be publicly available for 30 days starting from the announcement.