Lecturer, 31, accused of killing and dismembering student over fear relationship would cost him his job
A 31-year-old Chinese university lecturer in South Korea is accused of killing and dismembering a female graduate student after she threatened to tell the university about their relationship.
Zheng Changsheng allegedly feared he would lose his job if the relationship became known, according to police.
He was referred to prosecutors while in custody on Sept 4 on suspicion of murder, damaging, abandoning and concealing a corpse, and obstructing police duties through deception, reported Korea JoongAng Daily.
The victim, a 25-year-old Chinese national, had taken classes taught by Zheng.
‘I was afraid I would lose my job’
According to police, Zheng said he and the woman had been in a romantic relationship.
During an argument, she allegedly threatened to tell the university about them.
“I killed her because I was afraid I would lose my job after she said during an argument that she would tell the university about our relationship,” Zheng told investigators, according to Korea JoongAng Daily.
Police said they were unable to hear the victim’s account, but forensic evidence and a polygraph test supported Zheng’s claim that the two had been in a relationship.
Investigators said his responses showed no signs of deception when he was questioned about the relationship, and they concluded that the pair had been romantically involved.
Zheng taught rehabilitation therapy and neuroanatomy at the university and had been scheduled to teach two more subjects in the new semester.
Yonhap previously reported that the victim had already found a job in China and had returned to South Korea to collect a certificate related to the completion of her studies.
Body parts allegedly dumped across 5 areas
Police accuse Zheng of strangling the woman at his studio apartment in Hayang-eup, Gyeongsan, at around 6am on Aug 20.
He then allegedly dismembered her body and dumped the remains at several locations, including rubbish disposal sites, wooded areas and riverbanks across Gyeongsan, Gyeongju, Sangju, Daegu and Gunpo.
Some of the victim’s remains were also allegedly kept at his home, reported Korea JoongAng Daily.
As part of the investigation, police searched 14 locations and reviewed CCTV and dashcam footage from 16 areas. They also seized 214 items and examined 84 pieces of forensic evidence, including suspected tools used in the crime and recovered remains.
Allegedly dressed as woman to mislead police
Zheng is also accused of trying to throw investigators off his trail after the killing.
Police said he filed a false missing-person report to make it appear that the victim had disappeared.
He later allegedly dressed in women’s clothing and travelled to Dongdaegu Station with the victim’s mobile phone in an attempt to make it appear that she had travelled there.
CCTV footage showed Zheng leaving his home dressed in women’s clothing at about 10.30pm on Aug 20, Yonhap reported.
Did not meet threshold for psychopathy
Zheng also underwent a Psychopathy Checklist-Revised assessment after initially refusing to take one.
Police said he scored below 25 out of 40, the threshold commonly used in South Korea to classify someone as a psychopath.
Investigators are continuing to search for parts of the victim’s remains that have yet to be recovered.
Police are also looking into separate allegations involving Zheng’s conduct towards other female students.
According to The Star, citing The Korea Herald, investigators are examining claims that Zheng threatened female students by telling them they needed to remain in his good graces in order to graduate.
*This article was produced with AI assistance.
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