Most criminals aren’t born the evil way. Sometimes, they become criminals because of their past, probably something or someone from their past would have triggered hatred, anger, and all kinds of negative feelings which results in one becoming a criminal.
Most criminals in movies have a specific outfit or they look up to someone as an inspiration. In this case, this criminal goes by the identity of ‘The Raincoat Killer’ and his biggest inspiration is Jeong Du-Yeong, another prolific killer.
Who is Yoo Young-Chul?
Yoo Young-Chul was born in Gochang, Jeonbuk, on April 18, 1970. His family was impoverished, which explains why he was tormented at school. As a result, he came to despise the wealthy. Yoo had a criminal record before becoming a serial killer; in 1988, he was arrested for theft. He was sentenced to ten months in jail for theft again in 1991. He was arrested for theft again in 1993 and sentenced to eight months in prison. Yoo was busted in 1995 for selling child pornography. In 1998, he received a two-year sentence for theft, forgery, and identity theft.
Yoo married his girlfriend in 1991 and they had a son together. He was arrested for the second time in 2000, this time for raping a 15-year-old girl, and he was sentenced to three years and six months in prison. His wife divorced him on October 27. In September 2003, he was released.
Yoo’s assassinations did not begin until 2003. He committed one of his first murders when he broke into the home of a college professor and killed him and his wife. Yoo had a profound disdain and loathing for the wealthy, who were his primary targets. He primarily preyed on the elderly. After being rejected by a prostitute, Yoo decided to focus on sex workers as his primary victims.
Modus Operandi
Yoo’s Modus Operandi for killing his victims was to bludgeon them to death with a hammer. Yoo would disguise his actions as robberies gone wrong in order to hide his traces. Yoo was also known for assaulting his sex worker victims before killing them and dismembering their remains to conceal their identities. He planned to bury their dead in a variety of spots throughout the highlands. Yoo has killed 20 people in a year. Yoo was apprehended by police in July 2004, however, he only admitted to 19 murders. He acknowledged to cannibalism during interrogation, but there was no proof to back up his accusations.
Yoo claimed that he removed and ate the livers of his victims on occasion, but this has never been proved. He also purported to be an officer, posing as one with a fake police ID. He also set fire to the bodies of some of the victims, stabbed and suffocated one of them at other times. During the killings, he donned a yellow raincoat and a baseball cap.
According to Yoo’s victims, he targeted older affluent persons, prostitutes, and masseuses. During questioning, Yoo admitted to picking wealthy victims because he was envious of their large and opulent residences. According to The Chosunilbo, who covered the story in 2004, his animosity toward the wealthy dates back to his boyhood. Yoo was tormented at school and grew up in a disadvantaged family. His animosity towards sex workers and massage victims arose from his relationship with a sex worker. His sweetheart was a member of the profession who turned him down after learning of his criminal history. Yoo’s rage grew after his divorce in 2002.
Yoo admitted that he was motivated by another prominent serial killer in South Korea, Jeong Du-Yeong. According to The Korean Herald, Yoo recalls his most terrifying experience as being when his 4-year-old son contacted him while he was caring for a victim. Yoo was sentenced to death, but prosecutors filed an appeal. It is said that the serial killer is currently being held in Seoul.
Netflix’s New Docu-Series
Apart from this gruesome story, the exciting news is that Netflix announced that ‘The Raincoat Killer: Chasing A Predator In Korea’ will be premiered on October 22. Yoo Young-chul, a legendary serial killer who came to light as a psychopath to the Korean public in 2004, is the subject of the three-part docuseries.
Sources: Cheat Sheet, Criminal Minds Wiki, Variety, Netflix, Netflix Korea