Korean man, 24, kills girlfriend after beating her 514 times in 3 hours, says it was mistake & he didn't mean to kill her

A man beat his girlfriend 514 times in the span of three hours and 20 minutes, resulting in her death.

The case, known as the Gangseo torture murder, was covered by SBS’ investigation show “Unanswered Questions” on Oct. 24.

He called for help

On Jun. 20, at about 2:20pm, 24-year-old Jeon reported his 28-year-old girlfriend had lost consciousness.

When paramedics arrived at their below-ground apartment, the victim, known by the pseudonym Im Jan Di, was already in cardiac arrest.

The police were present at the scene, and Jeon admitted to them that he had assaulted her.

He claimed that he had struck her several times using a rubber mallet, reported SBS News.

He said that he had no intention of killing her, and that he had been triggered by her "lies".

An autopsy found that Im had 21 broken ribs and multiple ruptured internal organs.

A home security camera captured the incident, which forensic experts described as "torture".

Jeon had assaulted Im 514 times over the course of three hours and 20 minutes.

Bizarre rules

The production team also analysed Im’s phone and found a bizarre project the couple was working on.

They found the term “gukpeu” used often between the two, short for “gukga peurojekteu” (national project).

Jeon told the production team that it referred to a fictional country the couple had come up with, called “Dduri Kingdom”.

For this country, they had set up rules that the couple had agreed on to help them fight less.

This included rules such as “the moment you choose to lie, you are no longer entitled to any humane treatment” and “once punishment begins, no plea or explanation is possible.”

It also said “punishment will exceed whatever you can imagine”, reported The Korea Herald.

Only Jeon was allowed to carry out punishments.

Im’s phone also contained records that she had used AI multiple times to formulate responses to Jeon’s riddle-like questions.

Peers

Im’s coworkers remembered her as someone kind and diligent, although her behaviour had noticeably changed a year ago, SBS News reported.

She reportedly stepped away to take phone calls in emergency stairwells and came to work with bruises on her face or with a limp.

She had never asked anyone for help.

Meanwhile, Jeon’s peers called him stubborn and single-minded, and unable to control his emotions.

It was noted that it was uncomfortable to be with him, as conflicts would arise over trivial matters.

Jeon’s parents, however, claimed that Im was the one who "gaslighted" him.

He has expressed his intention to support Im’s family for the rest of his life and seek their forgiveness.