'Serial Killer' Kang Ho-soon Linked? Re-examination of Song Hye-hee's Disappearance Case ('Kkori Kko Mu')

*This content was translated by AI.

The 'disappearance of child Song Hye-hee' case, which has remained unsolved for 25 years, has been re-examined.

The SBS program 'Kkori Kko Mu' ('Kkori-e Kko-reul Mu-neun Geu-nal I-ya-gi'), broadcast on the 7th, aired a special episode titled '<Special: Finding Long-term Missing Children 2 - We Are Looking for Her>'. Listeners Kiss of Life's Bell, actress Kim Hye-eun, and singer Jo Jae-je participated to trace the truth.

The case began on the night of February 13, 1999, around 10 p.m., when 18-year-old Song Hye-hee, a high school senior about to advance to the next grade, went missing in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province. Hye-hee, who was returning from a study room, took the last bus of the night but never arrived home. It was confirmed that a man in his 30s, reeking of alcohol, had gotten off the bus with Hye-hee at the time. However, the police initially judged the case as a simple runaway, delaying their response. The formal investigation began only four days after her disappearance, causing them to miss the golden time.

For the following 25 years, Hye-hee's father, Song Gil-yong, left his livelihood to search for his daughter across the nation. His travel distance amounted to approximately 1.08 million kilometers, equivalent to 27 laps around the Earth. He installed 3,700 banners nationwide and distributed 4.5 million flyers, continuing his desperate search for his daughter's whereabouts. Bell of Kiss of Life said, "I can really feel the emotion of wanting to grab even a straw," and her eyes welled up.

Three years after the incident, in 2002, a 40-year-old woman named Choi, who had gotten off at the same bus stop, went missing and was found dead in a nearby rice paddy dike a year later. The police, taking this as a clue, considered the possibility of the same perpetrator and examined links to serial criminals such as Lee Chun-jae and Kang Ho-soon. Kim Hye-eun, who inspected the scene at the time, noted the topographical similarities, stating, "Wasn't the crime scene of Lee Chun-jae, who appeared in the movie 'Memories of Murder,' a similar road?"

The production team and profiler Changwon re-examined the case and uncovered new leads in the process. Profiler Changwon analyzed that the perpetrator likely approached using a 'hitchhiking' method involving a vehicle, based on the terrain and weather conditions at the time. He pointed out the investigative gap, stating, "No search or investigation was conducted in the early stages of the case, so there is no evidence to pin suspicion on a specific target."

New circumstances were also presented regarding the 'man in his 30s' who could be the perpetrator or a witness. At the time of the incident, a dormitory for a heavy equipment training center, where trainees from all over the country were staying, was operating nearby, and these trainees frequently used Bus No. 7. Consequently, the need for a reinvestigation, including the dormitory residents' list, was raised. Profiler Changwon emphasized, "The truth of the Lee Chun-jae serial murder case was revealed after the statute of limitations had expired," and added, "We must definitely find out where Hye-hee is and who committed this crime and why."

Father Song Gil-yong lived in a room without even a boiler and searched for his missing daughter for 25 years, but tragically passed away in a traffic accident while going to retrieve a banner in 2024, adding to the sorrow. Bell conveyed, "It seems he was at the brink of despair and wanted to see his daughter no matter what."

On this day's broadcast, singer Lee Sang-min and Solbi, who had connections with Mr. Song Gil-yong, appeared, adding significance. Lee Sang-min confessed to his connection with the father, saying, "During my active days, I saw the father installing banners while driving by. It was so striking that I even took a photo of him." He had previously posted related content on social media to draw attention. Solbi also shared, "I saw the father standing earnestly in fluorescent clothing near the highway." Listener Kim Hye-eun said, "Seeing the participants, I feel ashamed," while Jo Jae-je became emotional, remarking, "Everyone must have been of one mind."

Meanwhile, 'Kkori Kko Mu' on this day produced and released a video estimating the current appearance of the long-term missing child using the latest generative AI-based age progression technology from the KIST AI and Robotics Research Institute. The project, which took about six months, saw many celebrities and celebrities participate in various forms such as voice talent donation and SNS sharing, including Choi Gwang-il, Kim Na-young, STAYC's Seun, Han Ji-hye, Shin So-yul, AtHeart's Arin, Son Dam-bi, Lucy's Shin Ye-chan, Lee Gook-ju, Choi Jin-hyuk, Billy Tsuki, Go Woo-rim, fromis_9's Song Ha-young, Park Hyo-joo, Yoon Nam-no, Kim Yu-mi, The Boyz's Young-hoon, Yoon Sung-bin, Kim Jin-su, Kim Kwang-hyun, Profiler Changwon, Lee Sang-min, Solbi, Geum Sae-rok, Kim Hye-eun, Ryu Soo-young, TOURS's Shin Yu, Kiss of Life's Bell, Jo Jae-je, Jang Do-yeon, Jang Hyun-seong, and Jang Sung-kyu.

The three MCs, Jang Hyun-seong, Jang Sung-kyu, and Jang Do-yeon, reiterated the late father's words, "People's indifference is the most terrifying," and urged attention, stating, "This project is not the end but the beginning. We will never stop until even one child returns to their family's embrace."

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.