‘Dongtan couple deaths’ revealed as murder-suicide

The exterior of the Dongtan Police Station in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province. Courtesy of Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency

A recent double fatality case in Dongtan, Gyeonggi Province, initially reported as a case involving a couple, has been revealed as a premeditated crime in which a man abducted and killed his common-law partner after police had separated them due to reports of domestic violence.

According to the Hwaseong Dongtan Police Station on Tuesday, the incident occurred on Monday morning.

The man, identified only as A, went to an officetel in Dongtan New Town where his partner, B, had been staying to escape continued abuse. B had moved in with an acquaintance at the location following multiple reports of domestic violence.

Security footage shows A waiting inside the building after entering via a shared entrance keypad. At around 10:19 a.m., when B stepped out, he forcibly pulled her into a rented car. He had prepared tape and a hood in advance, binding her hands and covering her face.

A then drove to a former residence the two once shared, about 6 kilometers away. When B attempted to escape, A chased her down and fatally stabbed her in a walkway inside the apartment complex. She was later pronounced dead at a hospital.

Police tracked A to his home, where they found him dead by suicide at around 11:35 a.m. He had left a note.

Before the murder, the victim had reported A to police on three separate occasions — in September 2023, and again in February and March 2024 — citing physical violence, including A throwing a glass at her and assaulting her.

In response, police issued B a smartwatch equipped with an emergency alert and location-sharing function, and classified her as a high-risk domestic violence victim. Following the third report in March, authorities imposed an emergency restraining order that prohibited A from approaching within 100 meters and banned all contact via phone or other communication channels.

However, those protective measures failed when A located B’s residence. When A showed up with a weapon, B was unable to activate the smartwatch in time. According to police, she had not been wearing the device on her wrist but had kept it in her bag.

Police believe the victim declined an offer to move into a temporary shelter and instead took refuge at a friend’s officetel. Investigators are now looking into how the suspect discovered her address.

Authorities also plan to conduct forensic analysis of A’s phone and personal computer to uncover further evidence of premeditation. However, as the suspect was found dead after the crime, the case will be closed without prosecution.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.