Shim Young-gu

Shim Young-gu (Korean: 심영구; 1961 – 29 December 1992) was a South Korean serial killer who stabbed eleven people during robberies in Gyeonggi Province and Seoul from May to December 1989, killing eight and wounding three. Convicted and sentenced to death for his crimes, he was subsequently executed in 1992.

Despite the high number of victims and the brutality of the killings, the case was reported only by regional newspapers and quickly forgotten, with some speculating that the authorities had intentionally hushes up the crimes to avoid public scrutiny. Regardless of the reason, Shim was put on trial, convicted on all counts and subsequently sentenced to death, culminating in his eventual hanging at the Seoul Detention Center on 29 December 1992. On the aforementioned date, he was among eight other violent criminals to be executed on that day.

Unbeknownst to Shim, he left behind a slipper that was later found by the investigators, who determined that it did not belong to either of the final victims. After interviewing several locals, they concluded that the slipper belonged to Shim, and upon investigating his movements over the past few months, authorities were shocked to realize that they matched perfectly to each of the attacks. After obtaining a warrant to search his girlfriend's apartment, where he lived at the time, they found 21 pieces of evidence that linked him to the killings, including handbags, the victims' belongings and even the stolen bus tickets. Eventually, after a month-long investigation, Shim was arrested at a rented apartment in Seoul's Gangseo District on 22 January 1990.

On 21 May 1989, at around 1:20 AM, Shim entered a hair salon in Seongnam's Sujeong-gu district, where he awakened the sleeping proprietor, 23-year-old Lee. Startled by the intruder, Lee began to scream, causing Shim to draw his knife and stab him, before stealing 7,000 won from the cash register and fleeing. Lee was later found by a neighbor who rushed him to a nearby hospital, and despite the seriousness of his injuries, he survived the ordeal. Twenty days later, Shim was out drinking alcohol in a dark alley when he randomly encountered 42-year-old Mrs. Shin, the owner of a local pub. The two were acquainted with one another, as Shin considered him a delinquent who caused trouble whenever he was around, and due to this, she began to scold him for his constant drinking. Angered, Shim pulled out his knife and threatened her, prompting her to attempt to flee, but he caught up to her and stabbed her to death. Shin's body was found in a crevice near an elementary school on the following morning.

Eventually, Shim dropped out of middle school and adopted a transient lifestyle, living day-to-day by selling newspapers, polishing shoes and working low-skilled, labor-intensive jobs. At the age of 26, he was imprisoned for robbery and sentenced to 3 years and 6 months imprisonment, serving his sentence until the summer of 1988. Upon his release, Shim reunited with his biological mother and moved in with her, but was dissatisfied with his life due to their meager living conditions, as his mother lived off of her wage from working at a doll factory. As a result, he resorted to violent robberies, viciously attacking various locations around the country using a climbing knife. Over time, Shim grew addicted to the violence he caused, and resorted to killing his victims.

Shim Young-gu was born in Jecheon in 1961. From an early age, he was forced to watch as his father physically abused his mother, who eventually ran away with his little sister when Shim was still eight years old. After this incident, he was left to live with his father, who remarried to another woman with children of her own, but even in this new environment, he did not feel loved by anyone in the household.