Kang also shot Kim’s 74-year-old father residing near her brother’s house. He then moved to a nearby convenience store operated by her current boyfriend, surnamed Song. After shooting him, Kang spread thinner inside the store and set it on fire.

All the three victims were immediately transported to a nearby hospital, but died.

Kang fled after the shootings, but police found him dead near the Geumgang River some two hours later. Police presume he shot himself with one of the two 18.5 mm-caliber shotguns that he collected from a police station in Gongju, South Chungcheong Province, earlier in the day. The other gun was found in his car.

Gun ownership is illegal in Korea. However, Kang gained state authorization to use guns for hunting and left them in the police storage box in compliance with state rules.

Kang and his ex-girlfriend were in a common-law marriage before they broke up one and a half years ago. After the separation, Kim moved in with song the owner of the convenience store.

Investigators believe that Kang’s shooting rampage was promoted by a conflict over his investment in Song’s convenience store. They also believe Kang premeditated the shootings as he collected his guns from the police station beforehand.

Police plan to collect accounts from witnesses and others, and question his former girlfriend. Police have also asked the state forensic service to conduct autopsies on the three victims.

By Song Sang-ho (sshluck@heraldcorp.com)