True Crime: Who was the Cyanide Killer?

In the mid-1980s, people were randomly collapsing and dying around Seoul. Or was it random?

On this week’s podcast, we recount one of the lesser known mass murder episodes in Korea. It’s a sad story, and the killer’s identity will shock you.

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Angel Earl

Joel Bonomini

Jamie Staley

Shaaron Cullen

Devon Hiphner

Minseok Lee

Notes

Series of strange deaths between 1986 and 1988

Halloween, 1986: Kim Gye-won went to a public bath in Shindang, Seoul
At the bath: Gye-won clutched her chest, complained of laboured breathing
Gye-won’s symptoms worsened; she fell into a fetal position
She was rushed to a nearby ER; she died there
- Doctors determined Gye-won died from unspecified poisoning
Police investigated, interrogating everyone at the public bath
- Nothing suspicious was uncovered
- Suicide was ruled out
Gye-won’s family noted nothing strange; Gye-won went to the bath with her neighbour as usual
- They did note that Gye-won seemed to be missing a pearl necklace and gold rings

April 4, 1987: near Yongsan Station, passengers on a bus witnessed a woman, Jeon Soon-ja, fall from her seat
Soon-ja convulsed violently
The bus stopped and a passenger carried Soon-ja to a nearby hospital; she died in his arms
Yongsan Police Station investigated; they spoke only with the bus driver and passengers, who noticed nothing strange before Soon-ja’s convulsions
No further evidence

March 27, 1988: Kim Jong-choon, an elderly man, went to a relative’s birthday party in Icheon
On the intercity bus home, Jong-choon collapsed, suffered convulsions and vomiting
He was rushed to hospital; he died
His death was deemed a heart attack

April 29, 1988: Kim Munja on bus near Children’s Grand Park
She was rushed to hospital; died
Death was ruled a heart attack
The medical staff who observed both Jong-choon and the woman had no access to forensics

July 8, 1988: Sohn Siwon was on a bus in the Yongsan district
Siwon collapsed on the bus and later died
Siwon was given an autopsy
- Death was determined to be cyanide poisoning
During the investigation, determined Siwon had met with cousin Kim Seonja
- Further investigation then linked Seonja to all the other victims

Neighbour Kim Gye-won went to public bath with was Seonja; she stole jewelry
Jeon Soon-ja was a creditor who arranged a loan of 7 million won for Seonja
Kim Jong-choon was Seonja’s father; she stole money, bankbooks, etc.
Kim Munja was Seonja’s younger sister; she stole money, bankbooks, etc
Sohn Siwon was Seonja’s sister-in-law from whom she had borrowed 4.4 million won
Seonja’s was considered a person-of-interest after Jeon Soon-ja’s death, but there was not enough evidence
It was discovered that on February 10, 1988 (after Jeon Soon-ja’s murder and before Kim Jong-choon’s murder), met creditor Kim Soon-ja; Seon-ja had borrowed and still owed 1.2 million won; Seon-ja accompanied Soon-ja to meet a debtor in Eunpyeong; upon returning in a taxi, Soon-ja felt ill and vomited; Seon-ja offered a medicinal drink; Soon-ja rejected it and went straight home
- Seon-ja later went to Soon-ja’s house to check on her and repay the debt

Money was the motive – loans and theft
- Investigation uncovered a ton of jewelry, bankbooks, and other valuable items in Seon-ja’s house
Cyanide was found in Seon-ja’s house
- Investigator found a clump the size of a chestnut in the bathroom (while taking a shit)
- More conclusive evidence was needed
- Investigators wanted to run autopsies on victims; victim’s were exhumed
  - This was difficult; families weren’t receptive to exhuming
- - Cyanide was discovered in the remains; Kim Jong-choong was cremated, so no autopsy was given
- Discovered that Seon-ja’s relative worked in chemical plant with access to cyanide
  - Seon-ja asked relative to sell her some to kill pheasants