South Korean father accused of killing girl linked to son’s rape case

South Korean police sought an arrest warrant on Thursday for a 59-year-old man, surnamed Jin, suspected of killing a 15-year-old girl who was the alleged victim in a statutory rape case involving his son, as investigators continued efforts to establish the motive.

The Seongbuk police station in Seoul requested the warrant on suspicion of murder. Jin was taken into emergency custody at around 1.40am on Wednesday after allegedly stabbing the girl to death at a shared accommodation property in Seongbuk district, northern Seoul.

It remains unclear what motivated him to kill her. Police will bring in a criminal profiler to help determine his motive and seek forensic analysis from the National Forensic Service.

His son, 20, has been under investigation on suspicion of statutory rape involving the victim in January. Under Korean law, sexual intercourse between a person aged 19 or older and a minor aged 13 to 15 constitutes statutory rape, regardless of whether the minor consented.

According to police, Jin bought a knife and charcoal briquettes at two separate stores in Incheon earlier on Tuesday. Three empty soju bottles, charcoal briquettes and an apparent suicide note believed to have been written by Jin were found at the crime scene.

Investigators said Jin arrived at the Airbnb property in Jeongneung-dong, Seongbuk district at about 5.17pm on Tuesday, met the girl, who was already waiting outside, and entered the property with her. He then left alone at about 8.30pm, just over three hours later, and wandered nearby, discarding a knife and a damaged mobile phone.

The property had been booked for one night by Jin’s girlfriend, who is in her 20s.

The victim was of middle school age but was not attending school. She had entered a youth shelter early this year after repeatedly contacting police over family-related issues. She reportedly moved between shelters, including facilities outside Seoul.

Her parents filed a statutory rape complaint against Jin’s son in January. Police referred the case to prosecutors in March and they have yet to decide whether to indict him.

His son is currently being held at the Seoul Southern Detention Centre on separate criminal allegations, including theft.

If investigators establish that Jin killed the girl in retaliation for the sexual offence complaint against his son, he could face a charge of retaliatory murder.

Under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes, the offence carries the death penalty, life imprisonment or a prison term of at least 10 years – a harsher statutory sentencing range than ordinary murder.

Police were also examining whether Jin, his girlfriend, his son and the girl were involved in an extortion scheme involving paid dating arrangements, and whether it was connected to the killing.

The Nowon police station had already been investigating the son, the girlfriend and the girl on allegations including theft, receiving stolen property and fraud.