The man is suspected of at least 19 murders committed in less than a year, Seoul Police Chief Huh Joon Young said July 18.

The victims were mainly women but included elderly people from wealthy districts of the capital.

The suspect, Yoo Young Chul, a 33-year-old with a history of epilepsy and jail terms for theft and sexual abuse, has confessed to the crime spree, apparently motivated by a hatred for women and the rich, the police chief said.

Investigators July 18 unearthed the bodies of 11 women buried in shallow graves near a temple in northern Seoul, close to several major universities and the studio flat Yoo rented.

The killing spree began in September when Yoo, recently released from prison after serving time for robbery and rape, is suspected of killing a 73-year-old college professor and his wife in an affluent Seoul district, according to police.

The Japan Times Weekly: July 24, 2004
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