The identity of the teacher arrested for fatally stabbing first-grader Kim Ha Neul (age 8) at an elementary school in Daejeon last month has been publicly disclosed. The teacher has been revealed to be 48-year-old Myung Jae Wan.

According to the Daejeon Metropolitan Police Agency, on March 12, a Personal Information Disclosure Review Committee convened on March 11 to determine whether to release Myung’s identity. After considering factors such as the brutality of the crime, the severity of the damage, and the opinions of the victim’s family, the committee decided to disclose her name, age, and photograph.

On March 12, police announced, “Since Myung has stated she has no objection to the disclosure, we will follow proper procedures, including forming a secondary victim prevention team, and publish her identity on the Daejeon police website from today until April 11.” This marks the third time the Daejeon police have disclosed a suspect's identity, following the 2021 case of Choi Chan Wook (then 26), convicted of sex crimes against minors, and the 2022 armed robbery of a KB Bank branch involving Lee Seung Man (then 52) and Lee Jung Hak (51).

On February 10 at around 5:50 PM, Myung Jae Wan allegedly lured Kim Ha Neul, who was leaving an after-school care class alone, into an audiovisual room on campus, where she fatally stabbed the child. Immediately after committing the crime, Myung attempted to harm herself by stabbing her neck and arms and was hospitalized for treatment.

Police executed an arrest warrant against Myung on March 7 and formally detained her the following day, 26 days after the crime. The delay was due to her medical treatment, including vein suturing and time spent in the intensive care unit. The Daejeon District Court held a pre-trial detention hearing on March 8 and issued an arrest warrant, citing concerns that Myung might attempt to flee.

During police questioning, Myung Jae Wan reportedly admitted to most of the charges. Suffering from depression and having taken repeated medical leaves, she stated, “I was irritated just three days after returning to work. The vice principal prevented me from teaching.”

Regarding the murder, Myung allegedly confessed, “I decided I would take my own life along with any child who happened to be the last one leaving the care classroom.” She then lured Kim Ha Neul, the last student to exit, and killed her.

Investigators believe the crime was premeditated, citing evidence that Myung repeatedly searched for weapons and ultimately procured a 28 cm-long knife before the attack. Police also confirmed that on the day of the crime, Myung looked up news articles about past murder cases, raising suspicions that she might have committed a copycat crime.

Myung, who had a history of depression, had previously attempted suicide multiple times. Police stated, “The suspect claimed she bought the weapon intending to end her own life.” However, authorities concluded that she had a clear plan and motive to kill.

The police further stated, “This case does not appear to be directly linked to her depression, nor does Myung exhibit psychopathic tendencies.” Instead, an official explained, “The suspect experienced conflict at home and work and held deep-seated resentment. According to profiler analysis, her anger was redirected outward, which likely led to the crime.” Investigators believe she deliberately chose a vulnerable victim to express her pent-up rage.

On the morning of March 12, police formally charged Myung under the Special Act on the Punishment of Certain Violent Crimes for the abduction and murder of a minor under 13. While regular murder carries penalties ranging from five years in prison to life imprisonment or the death penalty, kidnapping and murdering a child under 13 carries only two possible sentences: life imprisonment or the death penalty, making it a more severe charge.

Under South Korea’s Special Act on the Punishment of Heinous Crimes, the identities of suspects involved in particularly brutal or high-profile crimes can be publicly disclosed. This policy was introduced in 2010 in response to public outcry over cases such as serial killers Yoo Young Chul and Kang Ho Soon, leading to the current system of releasing names and photographs of major criminal suspects.

SEE ALSO: Elementary school stabbing in Daejeon leaves 8 year old girl dead, teacher injured