Shocking Letter from the Perpetrator in the Sacheon Female Student Murder Case

On Christmas Day last year, a teenage boy, Lee, was arrested and charged for the brutal murder of a fellow female student in Sacheon, Gyeongnam. A letter he wrote in jail to the already deceased victim has been revealed.

On the 10th, SBS's program 'Things That I Want to Know' aired a segment featuring the letter that Lee wrote while in detention.

In the three-page letter that begins with the phrase "What I wanted to tell you," Lee expresses not guilt or remorse for his actions but rather a distorted infatuation and obsession towards the victim, referred to as A.

He wrote, "If it were your voice, I wouldn't mind if my eardrum burst or my cochlea tore apart," and "If I wrapped your hair tie around my wrist, it would be worth more than any luxury watch," and "When someone asked me what perfection is, you were saying everything I wanted to say."

He also expressed self-deprecation, stating, "You are maddeningly perfect, while I am the worst compared to perfection."

Even more shocking is that Lee described the victim's death in a fantastical manner.

He wrote, "You came to me in my dream on December 28 after you died. It wasn't about why did I kill you; rather, you were smiling in the dream," adding, "You seemed glad to see me, warmly hugging me while you sat next to me and smiling brightly."

He continued, "That moment when we looked at each other and smiled truly was happiness. I hope there comes a day when we can have a nice chat and laugh again. I'm sorry."

Lee was known to have had serious appearance complexes.

A classmate from high school reported, "After COVID-19, Lee did not take off his mask and always wore his hat pulled low."

Lee's mother revealed that he developed serious appearance complexes after suffering from acne when he was in the third year of middle school.

Due to this, Lee struggled to attend school and dropped out just two months after entering high school.

His mother recalled, "He hadn't gone out during the day for over a year. He hated anyone looking at his face. His self-hatred was very serious. He said he wanted to erase his face and would wash for four hours a day, claiming, 'I am dirty.'"

She also mentioned having found photos in his room where only his face was mutilated, expressing, "I never thought my son would commit such a horrific crime."

Professor Kim Tae-kyung from the Department of Counseling Psychology at Seowon University speculated, "The defendant likely has body dysmorphic disorder, which may have led to delusional thoughts about relationships that resulted in the crime."

He added, "It seems he had hope in becoming 'the perfect person to receive the love of the perfect person (the victim).' It appears he thought he could be redeemed through the victim."

There is also an analysis suggesting that his obsession with the victim led to the crime.

In fact, last September, when Lee heard that the victim had received a confession from a male friend, he expressed strong displeasure, stating, "What's he saying?", "You have to break up for it to be over. Why are you still doing this?"

Professor Jo Eun-kyung from Dongguk University's Department of Police Administration explained, "It seems the victim was afraid that she didn't love him and might love someone else. But he couldn't resolve his fears alone, and his only solution was the victim’s death." She noted, "It's very contradictory, yet this logic is perfect for the perpetrator."

Planned and Brutal Murder, Maximum Sentence in Court

Earlier, Lee was charged with the murder of fellow student A by wielding a pre-prepared knife at the entrance of an apartment in Sacheon at around 8:50 PM on December 25th last year.

According to the prosecution and the verdict, Lee met A through an open chat room around 2020 and developed feelings for her.

Then, around April of last year, suspecting that A had gotten a boyfriend, he resolved to kill her with the thought, "If I can't have her, it's better to kill her."

Lee had bought a knife, gasoline, lighter, and other items over an eight-month period before calling A out on the day of the crime, claiming, "I have something to give you," and committing the act.

On the 1st, the Jinju branch of the Changwon District Court, led by Chief Judge Kim Gi-dong, sentenced Lee to 20 years in prison and 20 years of electronic monitoring.

Under current law, juveniles under 18 who commit certain violent crimes can receive a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. At the time of the crime, Lee was 17, thus receiving the maximum sentence under juvenile law.

The court noted, "The defendant's crime was a planned murder, meticulously prepared beforehand, quite different from impulsive rage or violent outbursts, thus carrying heavy responsibility."

Additionally, it stated, "The method of the crime was brutal, involving several strikes with a weapon to vital areas leading to life," and added, "The sadness, pain, anger, and scars that the victim’s parents must endure losing their only child are unimaginable."

YouTube 'Things That I Want to Know'

Image Source: youTube 'Things That I Want to Know' – On December 25 at around 8:30 PM, an incident occurred in which a teenage boy attacked a female student with a weapon in Sacheon. Police and firefighters are investigating the scene after a report was made. / News1