The July 4 episode of “Brave Detectives 4” on E Channel unveiled two of the most gruesome real-life murder cases in recent Korean criminal history, exposing chilling crimes involving dismemberment, organ removal, and psychological manipulation all told by the detectives who cracked the cases.
Case 1: Dismemberment in Nine Pieces, Organ Removal
The first case began with a call from a restaurant owner in a food alley, reporting a mysterious foul smell coming from a taped box left outside. Inside the box, investigators found a rice sack and two rolled-up blankets and within them, a severed thigh and chunks of flesh, likely from a petite female.
The victim was soon identified as a woman in her late 30s who had worked in car sales and had gone missing after saying she was heading to a client meeting. Surveillance footage showed her entering the alley with an unidentified man. Flyers featuring a sketch of the suspect were distributed.
Thirteen days later, another rice sack was discovered in a redevelopment area. It contained the victim’s torso, with all major organs removed a horrifying detail that shocked even veteran investigators.
Eventually, police traced a matching box to a one-room residence. Blood traces were found beneath torn wallpaper and soaked into the flooring. The room was registered under a woman who was incarcerated, but her boyfriend known only as Mr. Kang was found to be the real suspect.
When apprehended, Kang was high on hallucinogens. He initially denied everything, but forensic evidence forced a confession. He claimed he intended only to scam her for money but ended up killing her when caught stealing money. He dismembered her body into nine parts due to the weight and disposed of the remains using subways and buses. Despite claiming drug-induced insanity, he was sentenced to life in prison.
Case 2: A Corpse Kept at Home for Four Months
The second case began when a black garbage bag containing a decomposing body was found near a river by a construction crew. Initially believed to be a child, the body was later identified as a petite woman in her mid-20s. Her body showed postmortem injuries including deep cuts and a gaping wound from the chest to the abdomen.
The cause of death was determined to be strangulation, with an estimated time of death more than six months earlier. The woman lived with her child and was in a common-law relationship with the child’s father. Just before her disappearance, she had filed a domestic violence report after he allegedly struck her with a phone receiver during a call from a payphone.
Suspicion intensified when the victim’s mother noted a strange, never-before-encountered odor on the child’s father during a recent visit. Upon entering his home, the police were overwhelmed by the stench of a decaying body.
He later confessed: enraged by her refusal to return to him, he killed her — and, disturbingly, kept her body inside the apartment for four months, claiming he “wanted her to stay close.” When decomposition worsened, he mutilated the body out of “inconvenience” while disposing of it. He received a 15-year prison sentence.
“Brave Detectives 4” airs every Friday at 9:50 PM KST on E Channel, and is also available on Netflix, TVING, and Wavve. Behind-the-scenes clips and updates can be found on E Channel’s official YouTube and Instagram.