By Kim Susan Se-jeong
A 16 year old middle school student committed suicide Thursday after he strangled a classmate to death.
The third-year grader, identified by his family name Kim, was found dead in front of an apartment building in Sasang District, Busan, at 11:41 p.m., Thursday.
Police investigations revealed that Kim had strangled Min, 16, with a length of cord near the apartment 10 minutes before jumping off the 25th floor of the building.
“I found the victim on the ground and asked if something was wrong,” said a local resident, identified as Yeom, 36, who witnessed Kim sitting on top of Min. “Kim said ‘I didn’t do it’ and ran off towards the apartment entrance.”
A piece of cord and a weapon about 30 centimeters long was found near Min’s body. The only visible injury was the one on his neck from the cord.
The police found a receipt for the cord from a nearby store in Kim’s pocket, issued at around 8 p.m. From this, they are investigating the murder as a possibly premeditated act.
Kim’s cellphone, locked by a password, is being examined for recent calls or messages. The police are also analyzing memos and Internet posts he wrote.
The two dead teens were model students with mid-range to high marks. But Kim, who had been the class president in his first year, allegedly told peers, “I want to die,” when he entered the third year.
Also according to classmates, Kim often invited Min to hang out and play games but was hurt because he was repeatedly turned down.