Kang Ho-sun

The murders took place in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province. His first victim was Bae, a 45-year-old karaoke bar employee, followed by three murders in 2007 including a 48-year-old housewife and a 21-year-old student from Suwon; their bodies were found in the woods.[2] Kang was arrested by the police in 2009 and following the two-day investigation that ensued, he confessed to 10 murders.[3] More victim remains have since been discovered and identified using DNA evidence. The families of the victims sued Kang for damages.[4]

His crimes were depicted in 2022 South Korean TV series, Through the Darkness.

Upon confessing to murdering 10 women, Kang was found guilty of rape, murder and arson and was sentenced to death by a court in Ansan on April 22, 2009.[5] While death by hanging remains on South Korea's statute books, an informal moratorium on the Korean death sentence has been in place since 1997.[5][6]

• Kang’s wife, 29, and his mother-in-law, 60, on October 30, 2005
• Yoon Jung-hyun, 23, on September 7, 2006
• Bae Kyung-mi, 45, employed at a karaoke bar in Gunpo, on December 14, 2006
• Park Sung-ah, 37, employed at a karaoke bar in Suwon, on December 24, 2006
• Park Jung-ja, 52, office employee at Hwaseong, on January 3, 2007
• Kim Hae-young, 37, employed in a karaoke bar in Anyang, on January 6, 2007
• Yeon Mi-young, 21, university student in Suwon, on January 7, 2007
• Kim Soo-hee, 48, housewife in Suwon, on November 9, 2008
• Ahn Young-ok, 19, university student in Ansan, on December 19, 2008

During his early days in prison, Kang acted like a king of the other prisoners and never seemed apologetic or remorseful, according to a prison officer. He said Kang seemed to realize his position only after Jeong Nam-gyu, a serial killer who was also sentenced to death, committed suicide because of the pressure of the death penalty.[7]

• List of serial killers by country
• List of serial killers by number of victims