Anchor: A man in his 50s has been identified as a prime suspect in the infamous Hwaseong serial murders that have remained unsolved for some three decades. The Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency held a media briefing, saying they found a DNA match after the state forensic service reexamined crime scene evidence.
Kim Bum-soo has more.

Report: 

[Sound bite: Police briefing -  Sep. 19 / Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency]

At least ten women were raped and killed in a series of unsolved murders in a rural town south of Seoul between 1986 and 1991, one of South Korea's most notorious criminal mysteries. 

Police have now identified a man in his 50s as the prime suspect of the "Hwaseong serial killing."

He's already serving life after being convicted of the rape and murder of his sister-in-law in 1994.

[Sound bite: Superintendent General Ban Ki-soo - Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency]
"Considering that there are cases where DNA evidence emerged through reexaminations a long time after failing to initially detect DNA at the time of the crime, thanks to improvements in analysis techniques, we again asked the national forensic service on July 15 of this year to analyze some pieces of evidence from the scenes of the crimes. We are investigating the case after being informed that there is a man whose DNA matches that which was present on three items."       

In a briefing Thursday, Superintendent General Ban Ki-soo, who is leading the probe, said police will investigate whether the suspect was responsible for the deaths of other victims.

The statute of limitations for the serial killings, however, ran out in April 2006.

[Sound bite: Superintendent General Ban Ki-soo - Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency]
"We will continue to collaborate with the national forensic service for DNA analysis. We will thoroughly investigate the suspect's involvement in the Hwaseong serial killings by analyzing case files and questioning related individuals and former investigators. We would like to express our condolences again to the victims and their families. Police will do their best to get to the bottom of the unresolved case, which enraged the entire public, with a sense of historical responsibility even though the statute of limitations has expired."   
 
Police have said they are considering releasing the suspect’s identity. Known only by his surname Lee, he has reportedly denied the allegations.

The Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency have formed a 57-person strong investigation team to get to the bottom of the case.
Kim Bum-soo, KBS World Radio News.