The father of Lee Hyeong-ho, a victim of the 'Lee Hyeong-ho kidnapping case' that stirred the world on Kkokkomu, shed tears of agony.
The 177th episode of 'Story of the Day When You Bite Your Tail' (directed by Lee Geun-byeol, Lee Dong-won, Ko Hye-rin, hereinafter 'Kkokkomu'), aired on the 29th, featured the final installment of the special three-part series 'My Child Has Disappeared' focusing on the 'Lee Hyeong-ho kidnapping case', with actor Lee Yi-kyung, ONF group leader Seung-jun, and singer Byeol appearing as listeners. Additionally, according to the ratings surveying agency Nielsen Korea, Kkokkomu's 2049 rating on the same day recorded 1.3%, showcasing its powerful dominance as it ranked first among all entertainment, educational, and drama programs on Thursday and first in its time slot.
The Lee Hyeong-ho kidnapping case is listed among Korea's three major unsolved cases along with the Lee Chun-jae serial murder case and the Frog Boy disappearance case. On the evening of 1991, 9-year-old Hyeong-ho, who was playing late in front of his house, vanished in an instant. That night, the kidnapper warned that he had Hyeong-ho and demanded 70 million won, instructing not to disclose this fact to anyone. Byeol, who has three children, expressed empathy, saying, "I can’t even imagine it," adding that "parents must have found it hard to remain calm."
The kidnapper instructed that a car equipped with a car phone be prepared. This was likely to snatch the money right after a direct call with Hyeong-ho's father. Byeol exclaimed, "It’s so meticulous, it feels like watching a movie." On the third day of the kidnapping, following the kidnapper's instructions, Hyeong-ho's father drove to Kimpo Airport with a money bag. However, the kidnapper did not show up, stating over the phone, "Someone was in the back seat." In fact, Hyeong-ho's father had called the police after much deliberation, during which Detective Jo Sang-bok was hiding in the back seat of the vehicle.
The intense battle of wits began between the kidnapper trying to confirm if the police were present and Hyeong-ho's father, who was trying to conceal the report. To check if there was a detective at the house, the kidnapper pretended to be a detective and called Hyeong-ho's home. Lee Yi-kyung remarked, "It’s so scary," as he wiped his arms.
The game of cat and mouse with the kidnapper continued. The kidnapper showed meticulousness by leaving no traces. On the 14th day since Hyeong-ho's disappearance, the kidnapper again instructed to place the money bag on the Yanghwa Bridge control box. While attempting to leave the money bag, Hyeong-ho's father casually looked up from where he had placed it and noticed a man. A pale-looking man dressed in a trench coat moved slowly in the cold weather. The kidnapper seized the moment of confusion among the police and disappeared with the bag.
However, the bag contained only empty cans and trash. The kidnapper called Hyeong-ho's home, saying, "You’ve deceived me splendidly," adding, "You shouldn’t do it that way," instilling fear. Given that the kidnapper swiftly fled with the money bag under circumstances with no clues, and comments during the call such as "we," "I want to back off too," "I’m really in a tough spot for getting involved," and "I haven’t seen Hyeong-ho’s face either" raised the possibility of an accomplice. The kidnapper continued to use a third-person language style. However, this could also have been a strategy to cast suspicion on the existence of an accomplice, which meant the investigation did not progress.
Just when everyone felt hopeless, finally, a witness appeared. A man who had tried to withdraw the money demanded by Hyeong-ho's father fled in a hurry after discovering his account was frozen at the bank. The suspect's description provided by the bank employee was similar to the man Hyeong-ho's father had encountered on Yanghwa Bridge. A composite sketch was created, but the kidnapper had completely vanished.
Later, Hyeong-ho's body was found in a drainage channel in Han River Park, just a 10-minute distance from home. In an interview with the production team, Hyeong-ho's father sobbed, saying, "I was utterly exhausted, but when Hyeong-ho returned dead, I couldn’t see ahead," adding, "I am the sinner," which brought tears to the eyes of all three MCs and the listeners. Byeol empathized, saying, "I can't imagine it. It’s hard to fathom," while Seung-jun noted, "It likely feels deeply saddening for the father, who wasn't at fault for not being able to find him."
The cause of Hyeong-ho's death was asphyxiation, and it is presumed that he died on the day of the kidnapping. Hyeong-ho's father confessed that he re-enacted a similar situation to fathom his son’s pain. As a result, the three MCs and the listeners lowered their heads in sadness. Following this, the investigation transitioned to a public manhunt, and the suspect's composite and voice were revealed to the world. A nationwide automated response service enabling the identification of the suspect's voice was conducted, and a tape containing the suspect's voice was also produced. However, the kidnapper was never caught, and after 15 years, in 2016, the statute of limitations expired, marking it as a permanent unsolved case.
Seung-jun and Jang Doyoun, after seeing a photo of Hyeong-ho before he was kidnapped, eventually shed tears. Seung-jun cried, "How much must the parents miss him?" adding, "They must feel a lot of pain for what they couldn’t do." The only remaining evidence was a 1-hour, 25-minute, and 6-second recording of the suspect’s voice, which is still stored at the National Forensic Service. Park Nam-in, the head of AI technology research at the National Forensic Service, mentioned that they are still analyzing the suspect’s voice and stated, "We must not give up now." In response, Lee Yi-kyung nodded, saying, "It seems like it’s not the end; we shouldn’t give up."
The father of Hyeong-ho’s outcry directed at the suspect stirred everyone’s tears. He sobbed, "I want to know why you did this." He said, "If you need money, I will give it to you. But apologize in front of Hyeong-ho, and then I will forgive you," adding, "Everyone dies, but our son died without being able to nurture any dreams. If you apologize and repent for your mistakes, I will forgive you and accept you," as he spoke with a choking voice. Jang Seong-kyu said, "With advancing technology and conscience, I hope the suspect confesses," while Jang Doyoun firmly asserted, "There’s no statute of limitations on confession and forgiveness for wrongdoing. The suspect has no right to be forgotten."
Meanwhile, comments surfaced on various social media and community sites such as, "The composite sketch of the Kkokkomu suspect is so scary, I think I'll dream about it today," "I was so frustrated and upset that I kept shouting while watching," "It really gave me chills, knowing it was an actual voice," "I knew about the Lee Hyeong-ho case, but I didn't realize it was this meticulous and cruel. The pain of the parents is unimaginable," and "I cried along with the father’s outcry."
Meanwhile, Kkokkomu is a program where three 'storytellers' share their experiences and feelings with one 'story friend' in the most ordinary spaces in a 1:1 format, broadcast every Thursday evening at 10:20 p.m. on SBS.
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