A horrific crime has shaken the city of Hoeryong in North Hamgyong province, where a university student allegedly raped and murdered his boarding house owner, a woman in her 30s.
“The incident occurred in mid-December,” a Daily NK source in North Hamgyong province reported Friday. “The student had developed feelings for the young boarding house owner, and the attack took place after she had prepared a meal for him.”
Due to limited dormitory space in North Korean universities – only about 30% of students can be accommodated – most students rent rooms in local boarding houses. These homes typically have two bedrooms, with the owner occupying one and renting the other to students.
The crime occurred in what North Koreans call a “ground house” – a detached home with a kitchen and two rooms: a lower room and an upper room used by boarders. The victim, who was unmarried, lived alone and supported herself by taking in student boarders.
According to the source, the student had returned from an end-of-year gathering with classmates on the day of the incident. Before planning to return to his hometown the next day – as is customary during the month-long December break – he sat down for what was meant to be a farewell drink with the owner.
The source reported that the student, who had been harboring romantic feelings for the owner, became intoxicated. In this state, he allegedly sexually assaulted her and, in an apparent panic afterward, stabbed her to death.
Local police arrested the suspect and conducted initial questioning before transferring him to provincial authorities, where he remains in custody.
The brutal crime has sent shockwaves through the community. As news of the murder spreads to neighboring areas, residents are anxiously awaiting news of what punishment will be handed down.
January 07, 2025 at 11:00AM
by DailyNK(North Korean Media)