A Chinese university lecturer in South Korea has been referred to prosecutors after being accused of killing, dismembering, and abandoning the body of a 25-year-old female graduate student who had taken his classes, according to Thestar. The suspect, identified as 31-year-old Zheng Changsheng, allegedly strangled the victim at his studio apartment in Hayang-eup, Gyeongsan, North Gyeongsang Province, in the early morning hours of August 20.
Chinese Lecturer Referred to Prosecutors Over Alleged Murder of Student
Investigators stated that Zheng committed the crime out of fear that he would lose his job if their romantic relationship was exposed. According to police, the victim threatened during an argument to report their affair to the university, prompting the alleged murder. Zheng taught rehabilitation therapy and neuroanatomy at the graduate school attended by the victim, who had returned to South Korea from China earlier in August to attend her graduation ceremony.
Deception Tactics and Police Investigation
Following the killing, authorities said Zheng engaged in an extensive cover-up. He reportedly mutilated the victim’s body and disposed of remains across multiple locations—including garbage sites, wooded hills, and riverbanks in five cities such as Gyeongju, Sangju, Daegu, and Gunpo—while keeping some remains at his home, as detailed by Koreajoongangdaily.
Surveillance camera footage captured Zheng leaving his residence around 10:30 p.m. on August 20 dressed in women’s clothing, wearing a skirt, hat, and mask. Investigators said he traveled to Dongdaegu Station and turned off the victim’s cell phone to deceive investigators and create the false impression that she was still alive. In a further attempt to throw police off his trail, Zheng filed a false missing-person report himself, initially telling authorities he was the victim’s boyfriend.
Zheng was arrested on August 25. The Gyeongsan Police Station referred him to prosecutors on charges of murder, mutilating, abandoning and concealing a corpse, and obstruction of official duties by fraudulent means.
Psychopathy Assessment and Ongoing Searches
During the investigation, Zheng underwent an assessment using the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R), an evaluation measuring traits such as impulsivity, irresponsibility, and a lack of empathy. Officials reported that he scored below 25 out of 40 points, falling short of the threshold commonly used in South Korea to classify an individual as a psychopath. A polygraph test administered by police also found no indication that he was lying about his stated motive.
Authorities have recovered a portion of the victim’s remains—with additional parts found during searches of locations provided by the suspect—and state that searches for unrecovered remains will continue. Meanwhile, police are investigating separate allegations that Zheng threatened other female students by telling them they needed to stay in his good graces to graduate.
The Gyeongbuk Provincial Police Agency officially disclosed Zheng’s identity and photograph on its website following an approval by an identity disclosure review committee. Additionally, police collaborated with relevant agencies to support the victim’s family by providing psychological counseling, a state-appointed lawyer, and coverage for morgue, cremation, and stay expenses in South Korea, according to Koreajoongangdaily.
