The Korea Herald

소아쌤

Suspected hit woman may be linked to musical celebrity

By Korea Herald

Published : Oct. 18, 2012 - 19:40

    • Link copied

Kelly Soo Park. (CBS News) Kelly Soo Park. (CBS News)
News reports have surfaced that the musical performer and judge of tvN’s “Korea’s Got Talent” Kolleen Park may be the younger sister of the alleged American hit woman Kelly Soo Park, dubbed in the U.S. the “female 007.”

Kelly is currently awaiting trial in Los Angeles for the 2008 murder of 21-year-old aspiring actress and model Juliana Redding. She was arrested in 2010 on suspicion of beating and strangling Redding to death with her bare hands in the victim’s apartment. It is alleged that doctor and businessman Munir Uwaydah, a former business associate of the victim’s father, paid Kelly $250,000 to kill the model. Days prior to her arrest in 2010, members of Park’s family allegedly received a payment of $113,400, which was transferred to a Korean bank, according to a motion filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court.

In 2010, Kolleen published a book of essays titled, “Just Stories,” which mentioned her two sisters “Kim and Kelly,” who reside in California, and published family photos ― which show a striking resemblance with the suspect ― in the section where she writes about “Three Sisters’ Trip.” Kolleen and Kelly’s mother also have the same name, Irene Park.

Calls to Kolleen were not answered.

ABC News in L.A. on Wednesday reported that new evidence has been found that Kelly, a real-estate broker, worked as a professional strong arm for Uwaydah and that she previously acted as his “debt collector” using threats, intimidation and bullying.

Kelly has entered a plea of not guilty.

By Julie Jackson (juliejackson@heraldcorp.com)