Court orders alleged serial killer to pay 1.3 bln won to victims' families

ANSAN, South Korea, April 16 (Yonhap) -- A civil court Thursday ordered an
alleged serial murderer to pay a combined 1.3 billion won (US$980,000) to the
families of his victims, who he confessed to kidnapping and killing over the
past two years.
Kang Ho-sun, 38, was arrested in January on suspicions of abducting and murdering
a female university student. He later confessed to killing seven others since
2007 near Seoul suburb.
Kang's criminal trial is still ongoing. He is also charged with setting fire to
his own house and killing his wife and mother-in-law, for whom he had taken out
large life insurance policies.
Prosecutors have called for the death penalty, though South Korea placed a de
facto moratorium on capital punishment over a decade ago.
In February, 21 relatives of Kang's alleged victims filed a separate civil suit
seeking compensation for emotional trauma and economic hardship resulting from
their deaths.
"The defendant, in a statement notifying that he would be absent from court, said
that he has no objection to the plaintiffs' suit. The court, in accordance with
protocols, rules that the defendant acknowledges the demands," the Ansan branch
of the Suwon District Court said in a ruling.
The verdict follows a previous court decision to provisionally confiscate Kang's
real estate holdings and a range of financial accounts at the request of the
victims' families.
A daughter of one of the victims, a Chinese immigrant, recently filed a separate
200-million won compensation suit against Kang, which the court will rule on
separately.
Legal representatives of the families said they will commence with seizure and a
public auction of Kang's real estate and financial accounts if he decides not to
appeal.
The criminal court ruling on his case is scheduled for April 22.
odissy@yna.co.kr
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