The SBS ‘Kkokkomu Special: The Real 3’ covered the case of death row inmate Oh Hui-woong and achieved the highest ratings of 2025.
The 183rd episode of ‘Story of the Day When You Bite Your Tail’ (directed by Lee Geun-byeol, Lee Dong-won, and Ko Hye-rin, hereafter ‘Kkokkomu’), aired on the 10th, is the final part of the three-part series ‘Special: The Real’, examining the story of death row inmate Oh Hui-woong through the theme ‘Oh Hui-woong, 50 Years of Outcry’. Attorney Park Jun-young appeared as a special storyteller, and Jang Seong-kyu transformed into a listener, joined by aespa’s Winter and actor Ryu Soo-young as additional listeners.
According to Nielsen Korea, the ratings for ‘Kkokkomu’ that day recorded 3.7% in the metropolitan area, 3.7% nationwide, and 1.7% for the 2049 demographic, surpassing the highest rating of the year and continuing its winning streak. In particular, the 2049 rating was the highest of its time slot and dominated the overall rankings for all entertainment, cultural, and drama programs on Thursdays, firmly maintaining its title as the absolute stronghold of Thursday.
Attorney Park Jun-young said, “The story I want to share today is a legendary tale among legal professionals like myself, but the general public isn’t well aware of it.” It began with the discovery of the bodies of her husband and two children by a person surnamed Ju Jeong-suk (pseudonym) in the Incheon Sinheung Market in 1974. There were signs of strangulation on both the husband and the children, but no signs of forced entry, leading police to weigh the possibility that Ju’s husband, Mr. Jang, murdered the family and committed suicide.
However, on the day of the incident, it was revealed that Ju had come to a tailor's shop with blood on her hands expressing anxiety, and she had left a message that she was visiting her in-laws. There were knife wounds on her husband’s neck, and it was suspicious that Ju, who disliked her husband drinking, had purchased soju. Additionally, during police questioning, Ju shocked everyone by stating, “I told them not to kill the kids.”
Subsequently, police summoned Oh Hui-woong, a 30-year-old employee of the waterworks office who had a close acquaintance with Ju. He admitted to being in a romantic relationship with her and testified that he visited the rice store twice on the day of the incident. Eventually, the two confessed to conspiring in the crime, prompting shock.
However, Oh Hui-woong soon recanted his confession, claiming, “I gave a false confession due to police torture.” In contrast, Ju testified that Oh had killed her husband and children, stating that he had orchestrated the murders. The conflicting testimonies raised tensions, with aespa’s Winter, who participated as a listener, stating, “No one can be trusted.”
The timing of Oh Hui-woong's return home and the possible timeframe for the crime became points of contention. Oh arrived home at 8:30, but the time was too brief for him to have committed the crime. Reporter Jo Gap-je raised suspicions of police coercion in the investigation, with witnesses testifying that they were pressured by investigative officials to alter the timeline of Oh's return. Prosecutorial records indicated that Oh arrived home at 9:10, but there was no supporting evidence, and no blood was found on Oh’s clothing or hands. However, it was revealed that Ju purchased a large quantity of sleeping pills right before the incident, and she confessed to having given them to her husband and children.
The issue was the timing of the investigation. Police only learned about the sleeping pills after Oh had already confessed under torture. Reporter Jo Gap-je mentioned, “At that time, it was an atmosphere where even if one judged it to be wrong, there was no going back.” Listener Ryu Soo-young noted, “What is frightening about humans is that when an organization forms, such deeds can occur.”
A dramatic turn occurred when Ju made a desperate choice in prison. Ju admitted to administering sleeping pills but ultimately did not reveal the details of the incident or Oh Hui-woong’s involvement. Following her death, the trial leaned unfavorably toward Oh. With Ju's death, the focus of the trial shifted squarely onto Oh. In the final hearing, the court asked about Oh’s attire and the possession of gloves during the crime, but there were no records of the investigation regarding the gloves.
The ‘Kkokkomu’ production team has reexamined the case and managed to secure original photos from the on-site verification. In the photos, Oh Hui-woong was being verified barehanded. This was a significant clue contradicting the theory of glove usage. Professor Oh Yun-seong criticized, “On-site verification should recreate the situation. If not a single fingerprint of Oh was found, then the investigation itself is a mess.” There had been conflicting statements from the outset of the investigation, and there was no crucial evidence.
Experts stated that if the trial had proceeded under current standards, it is likely that Oh Hui-woong would have been acquitted. However, the court ultimately sentenced Oh to death, and the Supreme Court upheld the original decision, affirming the death penalty 14 months after the incident occurred. Jang Seong-kyu remarked, “This is absurd,” while Ryu Soo-young expressed, “It’s terrifying,” and Winter noted, “It’s a sin to impose the death penalty on an innocent person,” voicing their anger.
Even in despair, Oh Hui-woong appealed for a retrial, expressing his grievances, and his voice was revealed on that day during ‘Kkokkomu’. He stated that he hoped no one else like him would reemerge, to which Jang Seong-kyu conveyed his sadness, saying, “It conveys a frustrating situation.”
Oh Hui-woong ultimately disappeared into the mists of execution in 1979. Until his last moment, he exclaimed, “I did not kill anyone, I swear that God knows this,” and urged, “Prosecutors and judges, please be alert so that no one else suffers the injustice I did.” Winter lamented, “If only they had tried a little harder, perhaps one life could have been saved.”
Attorney Park Jun-young, who has taken a special interest in this case over the past 15 years, emphasized, “We must judge facts based on evidence, yet this case is one where the power of the voices calling for justice is exceptional,” noting, “Someone must relieve that grievance.” He expressed regret over the disappearance of all evidence related to the case, stating, “I decided to appear on ‘Kkokkomu’ with the hope of finding Oh Hui-woong’s family, who could provide clues to the case.”
After thoroughly searching the Incheon Sinheung Market area for 15 days, the production team finally located Oh Hui-woong’s younger brother, Oh Tae-seok. Tae-seok reflected on his brother’s kind demeanor, recalling, “While a coffin was being lowered from the Ministry of Justice bus, it was my brother. My father wept bitterly,” as he recalled the last time he saw his brother, teary-eyed. Upon witnessing this, Ryu Soo-young said, “It’s heartbreaking,” and Winter added, “It’s so tragic that I can’t find the words.”
Attorney Park Jun-young remarked regarding the retrial, “Opening a solid verdict is as difficult as forging iron, but I have successfully reshaped improper iron in the past.” After meeting Oh Tae-seok's family and introducing himself as “the attorney for death row inmate Oh Hui-woong,” Jang Seong-kyu expressed astonishment, stating, “I felt a chill,” while Park requested evidence and information publicly.
The real-life narrators of ‘Special: The Real’—profiler Park Chang-won, Kwon Il-yong, and attorney Park Jun-young—urged attention to all ongoing matters, including Sergeant Yeom Soon-deok of the Mangyongdae unit, who remains tasked with regaining honor as a soldier, the truth behind the murders of Gang Ho-soon known as ‘Plus 2’, and the case of death row inmate Oh Hui-woong, for which the '50-year cry' must finally reach resolution.
Meanwhile, ‘Kkokkomu’ is a program in which three 'storytellers' share what they have learned through self-study with each of their 'story friends' in the most everyday spaces, airing every Thursday at 10:20 p.m. on SBS.
[Photo] Capture
[OSEN]