Strong Yoon, enraged by the killing of late Sergeant Yeom Soon-deok, exclaimed, "It's incredibly absurd and infuriating" (Kkoko Kkomo).
Profiler Sangwon Pyo revisited the most shocking unsolved case in the history of the South Korean military: the killing of late Sergeant Sunduk Yom. Previously undisclosed clues surrounding the murder of Army Sergeant Sunduk Yom have been revealed, causing shock.
The June 26 broadcast of 'Tail Tail Gratitude Story of That Day' (directed by Lee Geunbae, Lee Dongwon, and Go Hye-rin, hereinafter referred to as 'Gogo-mu') Episode 181 aired a special feature titled 'The Real 3-Part Series,' which revealed the details of the incident where Army Sergeant Yeom Soon-deok was killed. In this special feature, storyteller Biao Changyuan made an appearance. MC Jang Do-yeon appeared alongside WINNER's Kang Seung-yoon and actress Ok Ja-yeon as listeners.
Before starting the story of that day, Pyo Chang-won recalled his father, former Marine Noncommissioned Officer Pyo Sang-chi, saying, "It's an event that reminds me of my father, who had strong military spirit." He added, "It's been a long-standing unresolved issue in my heart, and I can confidently say it's the worst unsolved case in South Korea," which heightened 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 that 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, "The perpetrator seems to have committed murder in a state where they did not prepare any weapons, as their emotions exploded." He also judged that "one of the soldiers who was present at Sergeant Yom's last drinking session is likely the culprit." In reality, Sergeant Yom joined the dinner just before it ended, along with Transport Officer Hong Joowee and Lieutenants Lee and Ma from the Military Security Support Group, continuing the drinking session. Around 11 PM, when he left the tavern alone and headed home, 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 notified the family of Yun Sun-deok Sergeant after her funeral, instead of offering condolences or promising an investigation into the truth, they informed them of the eviction from military housing. Furthermore, it was processed as a general death rather than an official casualty, stating that the dinner party Yun Sergeant attended was not led by the commander. Kang Seung-yoon said, "I feel too ridiculous and angry," and regarding the family, he added, "My heart is too hurt to even speak, it's as if I'm choking up."
In 2016, the cold case team reinvestigated the case. Detective Kim Bohyeon 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 the National Forensic Service analysis, one matched Hong, the lieutenant, and the other matched Lee, a sergeant from the military intelligence unit. 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 history for 'murder statute of limitations' was found on his phone. The police prosecuted Hong Junwi for murder, but the prosecution decided to dismiss the case without an indictment in 2021, three years later, citing that there was no motive to kill Sergeant Yeom.
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 Personnel Disaster Compensation Review Committee continue to refuse appropriate treatment for Sergeant Yeom and his family, stating that "it is difficult to see it as a death related to duty." Representative Pyo Chang-won, during his time as a member of parliament, promised the family that he would "accompany them until Sergeant Yeom's honor is restored," and along with the 'Ggoggumo' production team, has carefully reviewed the case over the past four months.
And finally, Sergeant Im's floppy disk was miraculously restored, leading to a decisive clue. This was a lead that no investigative agency had been able to uncover until now. Inside were records of Sergeant Im strongly ordering a thorough inspection of 'oil stock and usage' from the Mungang Unit to the military supply officer, Sergeant Im, one year before his death. According to a report from a former soldier of the Mungang Unit, there was an internal tip-off that Transport Officer Hong had been siphoning off oil. It was also suggested that Im's death could be linked to this. Furthermore, it was speculated that if Hong had indeed siphoned off oil, Sergeant Lee, who was an information collector in the Defense Security Command, would have known about it.
Park Chang-won met Hong Joon-wi in person. Park pointed out that while Hong claimed he did not divert fuel, he mentioned that 'he had taken drums loaded on vehicles out of the camp,' during the process. Park said, "The term 'drum' is extremely important. It is the first mention of a word that can be part of the actual incident, a means of corruption." He also mentioned specific body language that Hong displays when he is uneasy, saying, "He had been completely denying the allegations until now, but during our conversation, he found himself in an unavoidable situation and started to describe his actions at the time. 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. Tableau Hyun-suk Im said, "I thought of Sergeant Yeom Sun-deok's story as my father's story." He added, "With the intention of revealing the remaining truth and restoring Sergeant Yeom's honor, I appeared on 'Kkochkko-mu'." 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. Upon seeing this scene, all the listeners were moved, filling the entire studio with a poignant resonance.
'Kkokkomo' is a program where three 'storytellers' deliver their own insights gained through self-study to their respective 'story friends,' in the most everyday spaces, on a 1:1 basis. It airs every Thursday at 10:20 PM on SBS.
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