Two indicted for kidnapping and attempted murder in Incheon

Two people accused of attempting to abduct and kill the head of a small company for financial gain, including one suspect who allegedly carried out the attack and an accomplice who allegedly helped plan it, have been indicted.

Incheon District Prosecutors' Office [YONHAP]

Two people accused of attempting to abduct and kill the head of a small company for financial gain, including one suspect who allegedly carried out the attack and an accomplice who allegedly helped plan it, have been indicted, the Incheon District Prosecutors’ Office said Wednesday.

Prosecutors charged the primary suspect with attempted robbery-murder, among other offenses, and indicted the accomplice on charges of aiding and abetting robbery resulting in injury.

According to prosecutors, the primary suspect attacked the CEO in an underground parking lot of an apartment complex in Bupyeong District, Incheon, in July, striking the victim with a blunt weapon with the intent to steal valuables. The victim managed to escape but suffered injuries requiring two weeks of medical treatment.

Investigators found that the primary suspect had conducted surveillance on the victim and the victim’s family, attempted to rent land to bury a body and planned an escape overseas.

Before the assault, the suspect allegedly disabled nearby CCTV cameras and used a box lined with adhesive to obstruct the victim’s view. After the attack, the suspect changed clothes and used multiple modes of transportation in an attempt to evade tracking.

Prosecutors opened a reinvestigation after confirming that the primary suspect, who was in financial distress, had attempted to sell cryptocurrency worth several hundred million won. That inquiry led to the identification of an accomplice who allegedly stored and checked tools, helped develop the plan and assisted in practice runs.

Prosecutors said, however, that there was insufficient evidence to conclude the accomplice anticipated an intent to kill, leading to the lesser charge.

While reviewing recordings of the suspects’ phone calls, prosecutors also uncovered evidence that they were preparing a separate robbery targeting a jewelry shop owner featured on YouTube. The pair had allegedly followed the potential victim, procured items such as a Taser, anesthetics and a GPS tracker, and tested the devices. As a result, prosecutors added a charge of preparing to commit robbery.

“Given the seriousness and premeditated nature of the crimes, we will work to ensure an appropriate sentence is imposed,” a prosecution source said, adding that authorities will continue to respond aggressively to violent crimes that threaten public safety.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. BY KIM CHANG-YONG [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]