Dates 15 Sep 1986 – 3 Apr 1991 | ||
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Location Hwaseong, Gyeonggi, South Korea | ||
The Hwaseong serial murder (Hangul: 화성 연쇄 살인 사건; Hanja: 華城連鎖殺人事件; RR: hwaseong yeonswae sarin sageon) is an unsolved serial murder case that occurred in the South Korean city of Hwaseong between September 15, 1986 and April 3, 1991. In each case, a female was found bound and murdered. The murder is considered to be the most infamous in the modern history of South Korea and has been compared to the Zodiac Killer.
Contents
History
The females, ages ranging from fourteen to seventy-one, were each found gagged and murdered over a four-year and seven-month period in the rural city of Hwaseong in Gyeonggi Province. Each woman was strangled to death with their own clothes. The evidence compiled led to a description of a man in his teens (around 20s or within), about 165 to 170 cm high, and having the blood type B based on forensic testimony.
The case is infamous within Korea for being the first truly identifiable strings of murders with a modus operandi. Police officers involved spent two million man-days on the case. The total number of suspects also grew to enormous numbers, eventually ending with a total count of 21,280 individuals.
In Korea, the statute of limitations for murder is fifteen years. The statute for the killings ran out in April 2, 2006. However, police records are still kept because of the significance of the case.
In 2004, a female college student was murdered, sparking new interest in the Hwaseong serial murders, though the case also remains unsolved.
In Media
Several films and television shows are based on these murders.