The comparison of the South Korean male and female homicide offenders' characteristics and crime scene behaviours is presented in this study. A total of 537 cases of homicide offenders prosecuted in Korea between 2006 and 2010 were analyzed in terms of offenders' characteristics, victim-offender interaction, places of crime, and crime scene actions. Significant differences between male and female offenders were revealed in prior criminal history, offenders' personal characteristics, choice of victim, crime scene behaviours during and after the homicide, and choice of weapon. The parallel with the gender differences in homicides found in Western countries is discussed as well as the possible explanations for the gender-related characteristics found in this study.

Mutilation is a rare and unusual act performed on a victim, especially in cases of homicide. Knowledge on mutilation homicide is scarce as the base rate of this type of homicide is very low. Moreover, previous studies examining this specific criminal behavior have been mainly descriptive, neglecting to look at other factors related to the act of mutilation. Furthermore, depending on the cultural context and country of origin, the infliction of mutilation pre-, per-, or post-homicide translates into different meanings. Therefore, it is important to examine mutilation homicide in the context of non-Western countries. Using crime and forensic examination reports subjected to forensic examination and convicted for a homicide between 1995 and 2011 ( N = 1,200) in Korea, the rate of mutilation homicide was estimated. Based on the 65 cases (5.4%) identified, information on the offenses and offenders were described. Moreover, using a series of bivariate analyses, the current study compared cases of mutilation homicides in Korea with other countries. Findings revealed interesting differences and similarities between mutilation homicide cases from Korea and the other countries. For instance, offender-victim relationship, victim's gender, and criminal history were significantly different from the comparison groups. In addition, compared with Korea, mutilation homicide cases were significantly more likely to involve an accomplice in Finland, suggesting the need to carry the body over a long distance. Investigators and researchers need to understand the cultural context in which these acts are committed as the infliction of mutilation may serve different purposes across different countries.

Sexual homicide is a crime of rare occurrence. However, crime severity surveys ranked this form of sexual violence as the second most serious crime. Despite an increase in recent years in the publication of empirical studies on sexual homicide, most of these studies originate from Western countries. Therefore, to our knowledge, no studies to date have tested whether the country where sexual homicides are committed influences the way these crimes are executed by the offenders. The current study attempts to shed additional light on the sexual homicide offender (SHO) by comparing Korean and Canadian SHOs as well as comparing both groups of SHOs with a group of nonsexual homicide offenders (NSHOs). Findings suggest that both Korean and Canadian sexual homicide cases present not only similar patterns but also some specific differences, mainly related to their criminal history, the offender’s age, forensic awareness, and some modus operandi characteristics such as the type of violence and the use of a weapon. Findings are discussed in light of cultural differences between the two countries.

The aim of the current study is to identify themes of crime scene behaviors in a sample of 487 Korean homicides and test whether these themes are linked to offender characteristics. A content analysis of police information was first conducted and then a multidimensional scale approach was used to identify themes in the homicide data. The exploratory thematic structure showed four factors that confirmed the instrumental/expressive themes as being useful in differentiating homicides: sex-arousal, cognitive, overkill-blood, and impulsive. These four themes were compared with the previous themes identified in Western studies of homicide. Finally, the current findings support the idea that there are relationships between crime scene behavior themes in homicide and offender characteristics.

This study explores the body disposal patterns in a sample of 54 Korean homicides that occurred between 2006 and 2012. Based on information collected by the police during their investigation, factors that could influence body disposal patterns were examined, such as homicide classification, intention, whether an accomplice was present, and offender mental disorder. Bivariate analyses showed that the majority of the victims who were disposed of were acquaintances of the offenders. Moreover, several offenders were more likely to dispose of the dead body "within hours" of killing the victim. Dead bodies were usually recovered in agricultural areas, forest/wooded areas, as well as residential areas. It was also noteworthy that, in 47 cases, the offender had knowledge of the geographic area where the body was dumped. In cases of "expressive" homicide, victims were more likely to be disposed of somewhere far away (e.g., over 40 km) from the crime scene, whereas "instrumental" homicide victims appeared to be disposed of somewhere closer (e.g., within 30 km) to the crime scene. Results are discussed in light of their practical implications for homicide investigations.