The real name and photos of Jang, 24, who killed a female high school student he had never met before and critically injured another high schooler, are spreading indiscriminately on social media.
On Thursday, Jang's name and photos from his school days appeared on Instagram, YouTube and other platforms. Recent photos were confirmed to match the profile picture on Jang's social media account. Posts covering the occupations and recent activities of Jang's family members have also surfaced. However, the accuracy of these posts has not been verified.
The Gwangju Metropolitan Police Agency held a personal information disclosure review committee the previous day and decided to release Jang's identity. But because Jang refused, the actual disclosure was postponed to Jan. 14 under the regulations. In the meantime, internet users spread Jang's personal information within a single day. "We were not aware that Jang's personal information was circulating on social media. We are currently focusing on determining the motive for the crime," a police official said.
The Gwangju Gwangsan Police Station conducted an underwater search at a stream where Jang indicated he had discarded his smartphone. However, the search ended without notable results. Jang remained silent about whether the crime was a copycat offense. He has reportedly repeated only the claim that "life was not fun. I decided to commit the crime while contemplating suicide, and I wanted to take someone with me."
Police are conducting a digital forensic analysis of the smartphone seized at the time of his arrest and have also administered a psychopathy (antisocial personality disorder) diagnostic test.
Jang was arrested on charges of killing a second-year high school student identified as A, 17, and wielding a weapon against another high school student identified as B, 17, on a pedestrian path in Wolgye-dong, Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju, at around 12:11 a.m. on Jan. 5. Jang stated that he had been wandering around his neighborhood and committed the crime without purpose against the female student he encountered. The second victim was a second-year male high school student who approached to help after hearing the woman's scream.
