A DNA breakthrough has led South Korean police to identify a man suspected of the murders of nine women and girls 30 years ago.
Detectives said the man’s DNA matches samples taken from evidence collected from some of the crime scenes.
Senior officer Ban Gi-soo said police have continued their investigation into the 1986-1991 killings even after the statute of limitations expired 13 years ago.
Ban said technological improvements allowed authorities to extract DNA samples from evidence that was not possible at the time of the cases.
Police did not publicly identify the suspect, but said he is already serving time in prison and has denied any involvement in the cases.
South Korean media, citing unidentified police and other officials, reported the suspect is a 56-year-old man who is serving a life sentence for raping and killing his sister-in-law in 1994.
Between 1986 and 1991, 10 women and girls between the ages of 13 and 71 were found murdered in Hwasong, a city south of Seoul.
All had been raped and all were found bound by their own stockings and clothing at sites within a radius of two miles.
Authorities later determined that one of the killings was a copycat case, and the man responsible was sentenced to life in prison.
The serial killer case inspired the 2003 movie Memories Of Murder.
Ban said police will continue DNA analysis and investigation as they seek to link the suspect to all of the cases.
He said police offer their condolences to the families of the victims and an apology to the public over the cases.