Police on Wednesday disclosed the identity of a son-in-law who beat his mother-in-law to death and abandoned her body in a suitcase.
The Daegu Metropolitan Police Agency held a deliberation committee meeting and posted the name, age, and photo of suspect Cho Jae-bok, 26, on its official website.
"The cruelty of the crime and the severity of the harm are recognized, and there is sufficient evidence," the committee said, explaining its decision. "Disclosure is deemed necessary for the public interest, including crime prevention."
Cho raised no objection to the disclosure, and the bereaved family also consented.
Cho is accused of beating his mother-in-law, identified only by her surname A, to death with his hands and feet over an extended period at a newlywed studio apartment in Jung-gu, Daegu, on December 18. The victim was 54 at the time of her death. He allegedly placed her body in a suitcase and dumped it along Sincheon Stream in Chilseong-dong, Buk-gu.
Police launched an investigation on December 31, approximately two weeks after the incident, immediately after the suitcase was discovered along the stream. Through CCTV analysis and other methods, investigators arrested Cho and his wife Choi, 26, who allegedly participated in disposing of the body, later that day.
Police plan to refer Cho to prosecutors on Thursday on charges including murder of a lineal ascendant, abandonment of a corpse, and assault. His wife Choi will be referred on charges of abandoning a corpse.