Kim, a man in his mid-20s, traveled to his wife's family home and killed her mother

He was detained Tuesday on charges of aggravated homicide and unlawful confinement

Police plan to convene an identity disclosure review committee early next week

A man in his mid-20s, identified only as Kim, who is accused of killing his mother-in-law and abducting his wife while a marriage annulment lawsuit was underway, arrives for a pre-detention hearing at Seoul Eastern District Court in Songpa-gu, Seoul, on Tuesday. [Yonhap]
A man in his mid-20s, identified only as Kim, who is accused of killing his mother-in-law and abducting his wife while a marriage annulment lawsuit was underway, arrives for a pre-detention hearing at Seoul Eastern District Court in Songpa-gu, Seoul, on Tuesday. [Yonhap]

Police are considering publicly identifying a social service worker, surnamed Kim, 26, who allegedly killed his mother-in-law and abducted his wife while a marriage annulment lawsuit was pending. Photos of a person believed to be Kim have already spread across social media and online communities.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency announced Thursday that it plans to convene an identity disclosure review committee early next week to determine whether to release Kim's personal information. Kim faces charges of aggravated homicide and unlawful confinement.

Kim, currently in detention, is accused of stabbing his wife's mother, a woman in her 50s, with a bladed weapon at a residential area in Munjeong-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul, at around 5:38 a.m. Sunday, then forcing his wife, a woman in her 20s, into a vehicle and fleeing. Police arrested Kim that day at a mountain in Gangwon Province, and he was detained Tuesday.

Kim had previously been subject to a restraining order stemming from domestic violence charges, prohibiting him from approaching his wife within 100 meters or contacting her by phone, text or other electronic means. That order expired Sept. 30, and police did not refile for an emergency protective measure with the court until Oct. 6. The attack occurred before the court issued a ruling on the refiled request.

Meanwhile, the Gyeonggi Southern Police Agency has launched an internal audit to examine whether the Gwonseon Police Station in Suwon, which had been investigating Kim on domestic violence charges, properly monitored Kim and the victim.


20ki@heraldcorp.com