"South Korea's Worst Unsolved Case"... Actor Byun Gwang-hyun Revisits the 'Yom Sergeant Murder Case' on 'Ggocoomoo'

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In 'A Story that Keeps Tying Itself Up,' profiler Tableau Park revisited the most shocking unsolved case in South Korean military history: the killing of Sergeant Oh Yeonduk. Previously undisclosed clues surrounding the murder of Army Sergeant Yeonduk have shocked the public.

The broadcast of 'Tail to Tail on That Day Story' (directed by Lee Geunbyul, Lee Dong-won, and Ko Hye-rin, hereinafter referred to as 'Gggoggum') aired on the 26th and featured its 181st episode titled 'Special: The REAL 3-Part Series', which unveiled the 'killing of Army Sergeant Yeom Soon-deok'. This special episode featured storyteller Pyo Chang-won making a guest appearance, while MC Jang Do-yeon appeared alongside WINNER's Kang Seung-yoon and actress Ok Ja-yeon as listeners.

Before starting his story that day, Park Changwon recalled his father, former Marine Noncommissioned Officer Park Sangchi, saying, "It's an incident that comes to mind when I think of my father with a strong military spirit." He added, "It's been a long-standing unresolved issue in my heart, and I can confidently say it is the worst unsolved case in South Korea," which heightened people's curiosity.

The incident began in December 2001 when Mengho Unit Sergeant Yeom Sun-deok left her house claiming she was returning from a military officer dinner party, but was found dead the next day. Initially, the military police said Sergeant Yeom had been involved in a hit-and-run accident. However, a wooden club stained with blood was discovered 500 meters away from the scene. Later, the military police changed their stance, stating it was a robbery-murder for financial gain, but cash was still found intact in Sergeant Yeom's pants pocket.

And 24 years after the incident, in 2025, Taepyongwon stated, "It seems the perpetrator committed murder in a state where they did not prepare the weapon, as their emotions exploded." He also judged that "one of the soldiers who were present at Sergeant Yom's last drinking session is likely the culprit." In reality, Sergeant Yom joined the dinner just before it ended and continued drinking with Transport Officer Hong Joowee and Lieutenants Lee and Ma from the Intelligence Unit. Around 11 PM, when he left the tavern alone, his body was found dead 40 minutes later.

Suspect Hong Junwi was mentioned. Hong Junwi was not originally part of the dinner party and was the last person to see Inspector Yom. However, Sergeant Lee from the Intelligence Unit established an alibi, claiming that Hong Junwi was with him during the estimated time of Inspector Yom's death.

The military police informed the family of Hyun Soon-deok, Sergeant Major, after her funeral that instead of condolences and investigation into the truth, they were being asked to vacate their military housing. Additionally, it was stated that the dinner where Sergeant Hyun participated was not led by the commander, and thus her death was processed as a general death rather than an official casualty in the line of duty. Kang Seung-yoon said, "I find this too absurd and am very angry," and regarding the family, he added, "My heart is too hurt to even speak, it's as if I'm being cautious about saying anything."

In 2016, the cold case team reinvestigated the case. Detective Kim Bokyung of the cold case team, who approached the case with strong doubts, clicked his tongue, saying "Nothing went smoothly from one to ten."

During the re-investigation, two cigarette butts found at the scene emerged as crucial evidence. According to National Forensic Service analysis, one matched Hong, a lieutenant, and the other matched Lee, a sergeant from the Military Security Command. However, the military police doubted the evidence, claiming the cigarette butts were collected from a singing club, and another cigarette butt of a different brand was re-examined, shaking the credibility of the evidence. This 'deliberate tampering' with evidence by someone in 2001, who had consistently worried about the victim's family as the case handler, came as a shocking twist. Pyo Chang-won said, "I have never seen such a stunning case before."

Suspect Hong Junwi said that he "does not remember" the situation at the time of the incident, but it was revealed that during the reinvestigation, he had sent photos of the crime scene to his lawyer. However, during the process of reinvestigation, another key suspect, Sergeant Lee from the Defense Security Command, committed suicide, and search records for 'murder statute of limitations' were found on his phone. The police prosecuted Hong Junwi on charges of murder, but in 2021, three years later, the prosecution decided to dismiss the case due to lack of evidence, citing the absence of a motive to kill Sergeant Im.

Afterwards, in 2023, the Ministry of National Defense initially recognized Sergeant Yeom's death as a service-related incident. However, the National Compensation Service and the Military Casualty Compensation Review Committee still refuse to provide proper treatment for Sergeant Yeom and his family, stating that it is difficult to see it as a death related to duty. Representative Pyo Chong-won, during his time as a member of parliament, promised the family that he would accompany them until Sergeant Yeom's honor is restored. He has been carefully reviewing the case with the 'Ggoggumo' production team over the past four months.

And finally, the miraculous restoration of Captain Yom's floppy disk led to finding a decisive clue. This was a lead that no investigative agency had been able to uncover until now. Inside were contents indicating that Captain Yom, one year before his death, had strongly ordered the logistics officer to conduct a thorough inspection of 'fuel inventory and usage' at the Mungang Unit. According to a report from a former military personnel of the Mungang Unit, there was an internal tip-off that Transport Officer Hong had been siphoning off oil. It was also suggested that Captain Yom's death could be linked to this. Furthermore, it was speculated that if Hong had indeed siphoned off fuel, Sergeant Lee, who was an information collector for the Defense Security Command, would have known about it.

Park Chong-won met Hong Joon-wi in person. Park pointed out that while Hong claimed he did not divert fuel, he mentioned that 'he had carried drums out of the camp,' during the process. Park said, "The term 'drum' is extremely important. It is the word that first mentions an element that could be part of the actual incident, a means of corruption." He also mentioned specific body language that Hong exhibits when he is uneasy, saying, "He had been completely denying the allegations all along, but during our conversation, he finally describes his actions at the time when there was no way out. He is gradually revealing facets of the truth."

This broadcast has not only conveyed information about unsolved cases but has also laid a new foundation for uncovering the truth. Pyo Chang-won said, "I thought of Sergeant Yeom Sun-deok's story as my father's story." He added, "I appeared on 'Kkochkko Mok' with the intention of revealing the remaining truth and restoring Sergeant Yeom's honor." The production team captured the image of Sergeant Yeom in 2025, created using generative AI technology, and presented it as a gift to the family. The listeners were all moved by this scene, filling the entire studio with a touching resonance.

On the other hand, 'Ggokkomo' is a program where three 'storytellers' deliver their own insights gained through self-study to their respective 'story friends' in the most everyday spaces, one-on-one. It is broadcast by SBS every Thursday at 10:20 PM.