Authorities will determine Tuesday whether to disclose the identity of a 48-year-old teacher surnamed Myung, who is accused of murdering a 7-year-old student at an elementary school in Daejeon.
The Daejeon Metropolitan Police Agency said Monday it will hold a deliberation committee Tuesday at 2 p.m. to review whether to release the suspect’s personal details, including her name, age and photograph.
Under South Korean law, law enforcement officials may disclose the personal details of a suspect, including their face, age and name, if the crime is deemed particularly heinous and the public interest is served by doing so. If the committee rules in favor of disclosure, Myung’s identity will be made public after a mandatory five-day waiting period.
The committee is to consist of up to 10 members, at least four of whom are external experts, such as medical professionals or professors associated with policing, as well as lawyers.
The police are reported to have finished the necessary procedures to hold the committee, receiving an agreement from the victim's bereaved families and appointing seven experts as deliberating committee members.
Myung was arrested on Saturday, 26 days after the crime took place. A local court issued an arrest warrant citing the suspect’s flight risk, though Myung refused to appear in court for the warrant hearing.
Investigators believe that Myung purchased a knife from a nearby store on the day of the crime, then lured the victim, a 7-year-old girl named Kim Ha-neul, into an audiovisual classroom by offering her a book before stabbing her to death.
Police report that Myung said she committed the act after feeling upset about being barred from teaching by the school’s vice principal following incidents of property damage and disputes with fellow teachers.
After the crime, Myung attempted self-harm and was hospitalized for nearly a month before being transferred to police custody Friday, where she underwent seven hours of interrogation before being placed in a detention facility.
Authorities are expected to wrap up their investigation and formally refer the case to prosecutors later this week. "Myung calmly answered questions during the face-to-face investigation and admitted to most of the crimes," said a police official, adding that they plan to conclude the investigation by referring to a criminal behavior analysis conducted by profilers.
jychoi@heraldcorp.com
