The Raincoat Killer: Chasing a Predator in Korea is Netflix's latest true-crime documentary that you don't want to miss. The gripping three-part series documents the crimes of Yoo Young-chul, who killed 20 people, many of whom were sex workers or elderly and wealthy.
The documentary features new footage and features exclusive interviews with investigators and families of the victims to help catalog the crimes that rocked South Korea in the 2000s.
On July 15, 2004, Yoo was arrested by Seoul police after several massage parlor employees and the police staged an impressive sting. He initially confessed to murdering 19 people between September 2003 and July 2004, but the true number of his victims was revealed to be 20. Yoo also admitted to committing acts of cannibalism.
Where 'Raincoat Killer' Yoo Young-chul Is NowOn December 13, 2004, Yoo received the death penalty.
The last time the death penalty was carried out in South Korea was in 1997 and the sentence has sparked a debate over the death penalty in the country. Newsweek has everything you need to know.
In South Korea, execution is a form of punishment for acts of rebellion, conspiracy with foreign countries, homicide, robbery-homicide and 12 other offenses.
Today, Yoo is still awaiting execution at the Seoul Detention Center, over a decade later.
At his trial, prosecutors requested that he receive the death penalty, which Yoo reportedly thanked them for.
The Korea JoongAng Daily reported that Yoo responded to the prosecution's request in court by stating: "I am thankful for the prosecutors' request for the death penalty. I will be repenting what I have done until I die."
Many people in South Korea welcomed the death penalty verdict, but before his arrest in July 2004, there was talk of capital punishment being abolished.
According to a report in The Chosunilbo, since Yoo's arrest, the support for the death penalty has been reignited after the nation learned of his crimes.
Molli Mitchell is a Senior SEO TV and Film Newsweek Reporter based in London, UK. Her focus is reporting on culture and entertainment. She has covered the world of Film and TV extensively from true-crime dramas to reality TV and blockbuster movies. Molli joined Newsweek in 2021 from the Daily Express. She is a graduate of The University of Glasgow. Languages: English.
You can get in touch with Molli by emailing m.mitchell@newsweek.com.
Molli Mitchell is a Senior SEO TV and Film Newsweek Reporter based in London, UK. Her focus is reporting on . Read more
