Court sentences duo to life for Gangnam crypto killing

A Seoul court handed life sentences to Lee Kyeong-woo and Hwang Dae-han on Wednesday for kidnapping and murdering a woman for her cryptocurrency in March...

From left, Lee Kyeong-woo, Hwang Dae-han and Yeon Ji-ho, culprits sentenced by the Seoul Central District Court on Wednesday for kidnapping and murdering a woman in Gagnam District, southern Seoul, in March to try to steal her cryptocurrency. The photos were taken on April 9 in front of a police precinct in Gangnam before their cases were handed over from the police to prosecution. [NEWS1]

A Seoul court handed life sentences to Lee Kyeong-woo and Hwang Dae-han on Wednesday for kidnapping and murdering a woman for her cryptocurrency in March.

Lee and six other people took part in kidnapping the 48-year-old victim, surnamed Choi, in front of an apartment complex in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, at 11:48 p.m. on March 29, killing her and dumping her body near Daecheong Dam in Daejeon overnight, according to the authorities.

“They conspired to commit the crime with the intention of robbing and murdering the victim,” said the Seoul Central District Court in its sentence, referring to Lee, Hwang and fellow culprit Yeon Ji-ho.

“They planned to kidnap the victim and her husband, use their mobile phones to extort cryptocurrency and kill them,” said the court. “They executed the plan after spying on the couple for a long time.”

The court, citing the fact that Lee and Hwang denied that they intended to murder Choi, said they were “still trying to blame others,” raising “deep doubts” as to whether they sincerely regret their actions.

Prosecutor Kim Su-min speaks with the press at the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office on April 28 about the kidnap-murder case. [YONHAP]

The court sentenced Yeon to 25 years in jail for kidnapping and murdering the victim, noting that he pleaded guilty.

The couple who financed the crime — Yoo Sang-won and his wife, Hwang Eun-hee — were also sentenced Wednesday.

Yoo was sentenced to eight years in prison, and Hwang six years.

The court said it did not find evidence that the couple conspired to murder Choi and dropped the murder charge. The couple financed the crime, paying 70 million won ($51,860) to Lee after he suggested kidnapping the victim to extort her cryptocurrency.

The couple was in a legal battle with the victim over losses from a cryptocurrency investment involving the Puriever token.

From left, Yoo Sang-won and his wife Hwang Eun-hee, stand before a police precinct in Gangnam, southern Seoul, before they are handed over to the prosecution on April 13. [YONHAP]

Puriever is being accused of being a scam in which the victim and the CEO of Uninetwork played a central role. The token was worth 10,000 won in early 2021 but plummeted to 10 won in just six months.

The victim, Choi, and her husband are believed to have pocketed roughly 5 billion won in an earlier token scam in 2020.

Choi and her husband reportedly attracted investors while using prominent figures, including politicians, in collecting investment. Soon after, they shut the operation down, claiming the investment was a bust.

Puriever is believed to have employed similar tactics.

After the Puriever token’s value started to plummet, people who suffered heavy losses hatched the scheme to kidnap Choi.

When Choi was kidnapped near an apartment complex in Gangnam on March 29, a passerby who saw what was happening called the police.

The authorities, running the vehicle plate, found the car early next morning in Daejeon, abandoned and bloodstained. They also found syringes in the vehicle.

Yeon was first caught by the police on March 31, followed by Hwang. The two told the police about Lee, who was arrested later that afternoon.

They confessed that they had injected anesthesia into the woman’s shoulders and legs multiple times in the car, which Lee’s wife had prepared. Lee's wife stole the anesthetics from a plastic surgery clinic she worked for, according to the police.

The police found Choi’s body buried in a location near the Daecheong Dam in Daejeon after the culprits confessed and shared the site.

Choi’s autopsy results revealed she died of an anesthesia overdose.

It was also revealed during the trial that Lee was once an anti-North Korean agent.

Lee’s wife was sentenced to five years on Wednesday. Another accomplice, a 23-year-old man surnamed Lee, who was involved with the group but ditched them before the murder, was also sentenced to five years.

The prosecution, in indicting the culprits, had asked for death sentences for Lee, Hwang and the couple and a life sentence for Yeon.

BY ESTHER CHUNG [chung.juhee@joongang.co.kr]