Kim Yong-won

Kim Yong-won (; born 1966) is a South Korean serial killer and rapist who killed two women and a child around various cities in North Chungcheong Province from March to June 2005, in addition to being suspected, but never charged with, the 1994 murder of a man during an argument. He was convicted and sentenced to death for the latter crimes, which were compared to the more infamous Yoo Young-chul's murders due to their sheer brutality.

Early life Kim Yong-won was born on a farmhouse in North Chungcheong Province in 1966, the youngest of four children of rural farmers. His early life was marred by violence, as his violent and alcoholic father frequently beat his spouse and children, while Kim's brother, who was nine years his senior, bullied him in turn. Due to these circumstances, he felt no affection towards his family members, and repeatedly claimed that he could not wait to become an adult so he could leave them. Kim eventually dropped out of middle school and started working up until the age of 20, when he finally left the family household. However, his life did not proceed smoothly as the first woman he loved dearly later left him for his best friend, causing him to harbor hostile feelings towards women as a whole. While acquaintances generally described him as a nice and gentle person, they would also note that has very easily angered and would get violent when drunk.

In addition, Kim was repeatedly imprisoned, with his first conviction for rape, assault and theft dating back to December 1984. After raping her this time, however, the girl threatened to tell her father of what he was doing, prompting a drunken Kim to strangle her to death. He then put her body in his car, stole a shovel from a nearby farm and drove to a church near the Baekgog Reservoir, where he buried her in a shallow grave, which he covered with tree branches. Shortly after murdering Yang-eun, Kim returned to her father, and the pair drank alcohol together as if nothing had happened. Kim appealed the decision in December to the Daejeon District Court, citing his drinking problems as a mitigating circumstance, but this appeal was promptly dismissed as well. The following year, at his third trial in March 2006, newly appointed Supreme Court justice, Kim Young-ran confirmed the lower courts' ruling, effectively finalizing the death penalty. This was considered a unique decision, as not only was it a much quicker affirmation of a death sentence by the Supreme Court (which usually take a year or more), but also because Justice Kim was an outspoken opponent of capital punishment.

As of February 2022, Kim Yong-won remains on South Korea's death row awaiting execution. At the time, the death of Choi was served as a major inspiration for the draft of a bill which proposed increased funding and focus on childcare centers and providing professional counseling for maltreated children.