Korean man confesses to killing 1, injuring 2 others in Vietnam

A Korean armed robber suspect is seen in a CCTV recording in Ho Chi Minh. He was arrested on Wednesday and confessed to the robbery which resulted in killing one and injuring two. Courtesy of Korean Consulate in Ho Chi Minh

By Kim Hyun-bin

• Published Dec 26, 2019 4:34 PM KST
• Updated Dec 27, 2019 11:33 AM KST

By Kim Hyun-bin

A Korean residing in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, confessed to armed robbery in which he ended up killing one and injuring two others.

According to the Korean Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City Thursday, the suspect surnamed Lee was arrested Wednesday and confessed to the crime while being interrogated by police.

Lee was caught in a popular tourist area dubbed “tourist street.”

On Dec. 21, Lee jumped the wall of a Korean businessman's house and stabbed the 50 year-old resident, his wife and daughter and stole valuables from the house. The wife died at the scene while the other two are currently recovering in hospital after undergoing major surgery.

The exact motive for the crime has not been unveiled but most are pointing to the suspect's financial difficulties.

“Lee graduated from a dentistry college in the Philippines, but was unable to receive the final dentistry certificate and moved to Vietnam. He worked at several bars and has been preparing for the dental certification in Vietnam,” an official aware of Lee's situation said.

“He was unable to rent a studio on his own, so had to live with others,” another person said.

Lee was caught two days after the Vietnamese authorities publically announced their search for the suspect.

“The Vietnamese Public Security Bureau released the suspect's picture and dispatched scores of police the day before,” an official at the Korean Consulate said. “They stopped people who looked similar to the suspect and eventually caught him.”