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True Crime

True Crime

The Korea Herald

Welcome to "True Crime," a podcast that explores real-life crimes that have shocked and shaped South Korea. Based on original reporting by The Korea Herald and produced by our newsroom, this series takes you beyond the headlines, into the minds of perpetrators, the stories of victims and the unanswered questions that linger. While the content is not graphic, listener discretion is advised. For more stories related to the crimes covered here, visit The Korea Herald website: www. koreaherald.com.

15 - Killed, then branded a spy
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  • 15 - Killed, then branded a spy

    In January 1987, the South Korean Embassy in Singapore received a call from the US Embassy about a suspicious asylum seeker, a 28-year-old Korean named Yun Tae-shik.


    Yun claimed he had narrowly escaped an attempted kidnapping by North Korean agents, alleging that the operation’s point person was none other than his wife.


    But his story quickly began to unravel. It was soon revealed that Yun had attempted to defect to North Korea before approaching the US Embassy.


    Related article: https://www.koreaherald.com/article/10859165

    Credits

    Reporting & writing: Yoon Min-sik

    Editing: Lee Sun-young, Devin Whiting

    Hosts & guests: Devin Whiting, Yoon Min-sik

    Producer: Park Jun-hee

    Audio editing: Noh Seong-min

    Artwork: Yu Soo-in

    Thu, 10 Sep 2026 - 24min
  • 14 - Korean TV's worst #MeToo case never reached trial

    The #MeToo movement pulled back the curtain on toxic work cultures in the entertainment industry — exposing how powerful men exploited women behind the scenes. In the United States, the fall of Harvey Weinstein became a defining moment, leading to convictions and a broader reckoning in Hollywood.

    But in South Korea, there is a case that never reached that point.


    Related article:

    Credits

    Reporting & writing: Yoon Min-sik

    Editing: Lee Sun-young, Devin Whiting

    Hosts & guests: Devin Whiting, Yoon Min-sik

    Producer: Park Jun-hee

    Audio editing: Noh Seong-min

    Artwork: Yu Soo-in

    Thu, 28 May 2026 - 17min
  • 13 - The downfall of a dictator’s spy chief

    "His Excellency doesn't allow his second-in-command to live."

    In the 2020 movie "The Man Standing Next," the character Park Yong-gak, based on former Korean Central Intelligence Agency chief Kim Hyung-wook, utters the ominous line about then-President Park Chung-hee.

    Kim, once at the pinnacle of power, went missing after last being seen at a hotel casino in Paris on Oct. 7, 1979.

    This episode delves into conspiracy theories surrounding the mysterious death of Kim Hyung-wook, an intelligence chief-turned-whistleblower under the Park Chung-hee dictatorship.


    Related article: https://www.koreaherald.com/article/10723619

    Credits

    Reporting & writing: Yoon Min-sik

    Editing: Lee Sun-young, Devin Whiting

    Hosts & guests: Devin Whiting, Yoon Min-sik

    Producer: Park Jun-hee

    Audio editing: Noh Seong-min

    Artwork: Yu Soo-in

    Thu, 23 Apr 2026 - 18min
  • 12 - When fantasy became fatal

    Human fascination with mysticism and the afterlife has endured for millennia -- from protective spells in ancient Mesopotamia to prohibitions against magic in the Hebrew Bible, from necromancy in folklore across cultures to the hysteria of the Salem witch trials, where more than 200 people were accused of witchcraft.

    Today, few people would still believe it is truly possible to cast a curse or summon the dead. But in 2012 in South Korea, a small group of teenagers and young adults became engrossed in just such ideas.

    This episode examines how an online forum devoted to summoning spirits crossed the line from dark fascination into deadly action, culminating in the murder of a 20-year-old college student — once one of their own.


    Related article: https://www.koreaherald.com/article/10702769

    Credits

    Reporting & writing: Yoon Min-sik

    Editing: Lee Sun-young, Devin Whiting

    Hosts & guests: Devin Whiting, Yoon Min-sik

    Producer: Park Jun-hee

    Audio editing: Noh Seong-min

    Artwork: Yu Soo-in

    Thu, 02 Apr 2026 - 20min
  • 11 - Monster side of 'Molar Daddy'

    Lee Young-hak was once the darling of South Korea.

    The public gave him the nickname "Molar Daddy" after the rare disease, known as gigantiform cementoma, that caused disfigurement of his and his daughter's mouths.

    But a horrifying truth was uncovered a decade later. In 2017, the nation was stunned by the news that the once-beloved Molar Daddy was facing murder and sexual assault charges.

    This episode will delve into how the father and daughter turned out to be accomplices in a heinous crime, and how many people were blinded by his tearjerker of a life story that concealed his dark side.

    Related article:

    Credits

    Reporting & writing: Yoon Min-sik

    Editing: Lee Sun-young, Devin Whiting

    Hosts & guests: Devin Whiting, Yoon Min-sik

    Producer: Park Jun-hee

    Audio editing: Noh Seong-min

    Artwork: Yu Soo-in

    Thu, 12 Mar 2026 - 19min
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