Murder of woman in parking lot spread fear

Police are seen hustling with murder suspect Kim Il-gon to arrest him at Seongdong-gu, Seoul, Thursday. /Yonhap

By Jhoo Dong-chan

Kim Il-gon, a kidnapping and murder suspect, answers reporter’s questions about the allegations in front of Seongdong Police Station in eastern Seoul, Thursday. / Yonhap

The recent murder of a woman who was abducted from the parking lot of a discount store has increased fear of such facilities among women because many do not have enough staff or surveillance systems to prevent crime.

Police apprehended a murder suspect, Kim Il-gon, 48, Thursday, eight days after he allegedly abducted a 35-year-old woman surnamed Joo from the underground parking lot of a franchised discount store in Asan, South Chungcheong Province, Sept. 9.

The victim was taken while loading groceries into her van. Two days later, she was found dead in the trunk of her vehicle at an apartment parking lot in Seoul.

The vehicle was on fire when discovered, and police suspect that Kim set fire to it to destroy evidence. Joo had been stabbed in the neck and torso, leading police to conclude that he killed her before starting the fire.

Kim previously threatened a woman with a knife in the parking lot of another discount store in Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province, Aug. 24. But as she resisted and shouted, Kim stole her car and drove off.

According to the National Police Agency, 2,902 crimes took place in discount store parking lots nationwide in 2012, including murder, sexual assault, assault and theft, and 3,194 cases in 2013.

Such crimes make many women fearful of going to discount stores, with online bulletin boards full of posts concerning public safety.

“Parking lots are dimly lit, other cars can hide what’s happening at a car, and only a handful of staffers usually work,” a housewife in Seoul said.

Another woman said, “How could abduction possibly happen in such a crowded place like a discount store during broad daylight?”

Many urge discount stores and department stores to install surveillance cameras and place security guards in their underground parking lots.

Kim, with 22 previous criminal convictions, used pre-paid phones and frequently changed his clothes to throw the police off the trail.

On Monday, the police began a manhunt for Kim and offered a 10 million won ($8,500) reward.

On Thursday, he broke into an animal hospital in eastern Seoul, and threatened workers there with a knife, demanding a euthanasia drug.

But as the workers locked the office door and called the police, Kim ran away.

An hour later, police found Kim near the area and arrested him at 11 a.m.