By Kim Rahn
Staff Reporter
A 37-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of killing his high school teacher for inflicting corporal punishment 21 years ago.
Police Monday sought an arrest warrant for the man, identified only as Kim, for murdering his former teacher, 58-year-old Song. Kim allegedly stabbed Song to death, who was entering his home in northern Seoul around 9:40 p.m. Saturday.
According to police, Kim received corporal punishment from Song for cheating in an exam in 1987 when he was a high school freshman. Bearing a grudge against the teacher, Kim called Song and visited his school several times since January, claiming he did not cheat and threatening to harm Song unless he apologized for the punishment.
Song has recently stayed at his mother's house in Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province, to hide from Kim. But on the day of the murder, he went to his home to get some clothes, police said.
Police found threatening emails and other files on Song's computer which Kim sent. Through questioning neighbors, police found Kim at a hospital Sunday morning. Kim was undergoing surgery as he had hurt the back of his hand while killing Song.
Kim told police that Song had beaten him hard due to the false accusation of cheating and that he had never forgotten the unfairness for the last 21 years.
``Kim visited Song's home for an apology after finding his address at an online community. It seems that Kim committed the murder in a fit of anger as Song refused to apologize,'' a police officer said. ``Kim has suffered from depression recently. We may seek a psychiatric evaluation.''