Police Launch Search for 57-Year-Old Man Accused of Double Murder

On Friday, authorities launched an intensive search operation to apprehend a 57-year-old man who is alleged to have committed two murders. The suspect, only known as Lee, is accused of brutally killing two individuals.

The police have released a photograph of the suspect, describing him as approximately 170 centimeters tall with a shaved head. However, the suspect’s full identity remains unknown.

The reward for anyone providing crucial information leading to the arrest of the suspect has been set at 5 million won.

Lee has a history of criminal activity, with five previous convictions. He was released from prison in November.

According to the police, the first murder occurred at a coffee shop owned by a woman in her 50s located in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang. The woman was found dead at 8:30 a.m. on Friday, showing signs of strangulation and assault.

Investigators have linked this murder to another similar crime that took place last month. The police have confirmed that the same person is responsible for both killings.

Fingerprints belonging to the suspect, Lee, were found at both crime scenes, strengthening the case against him. The previous murder involved a coffee shop owner in her 60s in Goyang, Gyeonggi, who was also strangled after being beaten.

The police were alerted to the second murder when the son of the victim contacted them after his mother stopped answering his calls and the coffee shop remained closed.

Authorities believe that both coffee shop owners were targeted at random, as there is no evidence of any prior connection between the victims and the suspect. The police are struggling to track down the suspect due to his lack of a mobile phone and registered address.

In their efforts to locate the suspect, the police are currently reviewing surveillance footage to trace his movements.

Further updates on this ongoing investigation will be reported as information becomes available.

By Lee Ho-Jeong [lee.hojeong@joongang.co.kr]