Suspect in Jeju murder case installed camera outside victim's house

A man suspected of killing the owner of a popular restaurant on Jeju Island as a favor for an acquaintance of the dead owner was found to have broken into the owner’s house after installing a hidden camera outside to figure out the door passcode.

The suspect on charges of murdering a woman who owns a famous restaurant in Jeju is questioned by reporters as he is sent to the Jeju Dongbu Police Precinct on Dec. 20. [YONHAP]

A man suspected of killing the owner of a popular restaurant on Jeju Island as a favor for an acquaintance of the dead owner was found to have broken into the owner’s house after installing a hidden camera outside to figure out the door passcode.

The restaurant owner, a woman in her 50s, was found dead at her house at around 10:07 a.m. on Dec. 17 after apparently being beaten to death with a blunt object. The main suspect is surnamed Kim.

According to the Jeju Dongbu Police Precinct, a man in his 50s surnamed Park sent 10 million won ($7,800) to both Kim and his wife prior to the woman’s death.

Park admitted to having made a request Kim, but said he only asked Kim to scare her, denying that he asked him to kill her.

It has been reported that Park and the restaurant owner knew each other well.

The police said the two had been fighting over financial issues since August.

The dead restaurant owner was said to have become affluent after operating the restaurant.

Kim confessed that Park told him to “put her in the hospital [by harming her],” while Kim’s wife said she was “not fully aware of the exact situation.”

The Jeju police have since confirmed that Kim had installed a camera in front of the woman’s house after Kim and Park figured out her passcode had been changed in an apparent first attempt to commit the crime.

Kim, who had received the passcode from Park, visited Jeju late last month but failed to get in as the door passcode did not work.

Later, Kim disguised himself as a delivery man, visited the woman’s house and installed a hidden camera.

After figuring out the passcode from the CCTV footage, Kim went to the restaurant owner's home on Dec. 16, entered the passcode and waited for the victim.

The police will send the case to the prosecution Wednesday, requesting that Park, Kim and Kim’s wife be charged with conspiracy to commit murder.

BY JANG GU-SEUL, CHOI CHOONG-IL [cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr]