Setagaya Stalker Murder Trial: “She Screamed, ‘Opppa, Opppa!’”—Victim’s Ex-Husband, Who Faced the Defendant, Makes a Heart-Wrenching Plea

Admits to stalking but denies intent to kill

A lay judge trial for a man charged with murder and other offenses for stabbing his girlfriend in the neck and killing her has been underway at the Tokyo District Court since August 19.

The incident occurred in broad daylight on September 1 of last year. In Setagaya, Tokyo, defendant Park Young-jun (31), a South Korean national, killed his girlfriend, Ms. Bang Ji-won (40 at the time), also a South Korean national. Park is charged with murder and violating the Anti-Stalking Act.

“At the first hearing on August 19, Defendant Park denied having murderous intent, stating, ‘I did not commit the murder with the intent to kill.’ He has admitted to violating the Stalking Prevention Act. According to the prosecution, the two met on social media and began a long-distance relationship around April of last year.When Defendant Park visited Japan that same August, a dispute arose over their relationship, and Ms. Bang consulted the police. The police urged Defendant Park to return to South Korea and escorted him to Narita Airport, but he canceled his flight. Starting on August 29, he repeatedly engaged in stalking behavior, such as showing up unannounced at Ms. Bang’s home and sending her messages on social media.

On September 1, he is alleged to have waited for Ms. Ban at her workplace from early in the morning and stabbed her in the neck, killing her. “Because the incident occurred in a quiet residential neighborhood in Setagaya Ward, tabloid shows at the time reported it extensively as the ‘Setagaya Stalking Murder Case,’ and it became a major topic of discussion,” said a reporter from the crime desk of a national newspaper.

At the first hearing on August 19, Defendant Park’s defense team stated,

“He was hurt after overhearing Ms. Ban speak negatively about him during a phone call with her ex-husband,”

.

“She had the knife with her for the purpose of suicide, and it accidentally pierced him during a struggle,”

and so on.

At the subsequent hearing on August 20, Ms. Bang’s ex-husband appeared for witness examination and faced Defendant Park.

Defendant Park, wearing a white dress shirt and a beige jacket, sat next to her defense attorney. With her fair complexion and round face, her wavy hair parted down the middle gave her a younger appearance than her actual age. Ms. Ban’s ex-husband was slender, and his haircut—shaved short in the back and on the sides—gave him a ruggedly handsome appearance. He stood in stark contrast to Defendant Park.

The prosecution began by asking the ex-husband about how he met Ms. Bang. The following is the account the ex-husband gave of the events leading up to the incident, starting with how they first met.

“Opppa, Opppa!” someone screamed…

The two met in South Korea when her ex-husband was a freshman in high school and Mr. Ban was in his third year of junior high; they married in 2015. They both continued working in the apparel industry and moved to Japan in 2018. Describing Mr. Ban’s personality, she says, “He’s very capable at his job. He’s just a little more timid than the average person.”The two divorced in March ’25, but their relationship as business partners continued.

In April ’25, the defendant Park suddenly sent a direct message to her ex-husband’s Instagram. Since Park said, “I’d like to communicate via KakaoTalk (Editor’s note: a free calling and messaging app),” she contacted him through KakaoTalk. There, he tried to show off by saying things like, “I have more money than you” and “I run a hotel,” and furthermore,

“Since I can’t get in touch with Mr. Bang, please tell him to contact me,”

He spoke unilaterally. Her ex-husband said,

“I thought it was strange to speak like that on a first meeting. I wondered if she might have mental health issues,”

, expressing his distrust. When he relayed the exchange with Defendant Park to Ms. Bang, she asked him, “Please block him.” It was at this point that the ex-husband first heard from Ms. Bang about her relationship with Defendant Park.

According to Ms. Bang, she had been suffering from domestic violence at the hands of Defendant Park; she stated that when she spent Defendant Park’s birthday in South Korea, he choked her and pulled her arms violently. Bystanders who witnessed this called the police, leading to a commotion that resulted in a police response.Furthermore, even after Defendant Park arrived in Japan last August, there were instances where she was slapped across the face repeatedly. Ms. Bang had been consulting with her ex-husband, asking, “Why won’t [the defendant] go back to South Korea?” and “How can I break up with him safely? ”

On August 29, when Defendant Park barged into Ms. Bang’s home, she contacted the police. The police urged Defendant Park to return to South Korea and escorted him to Narita Airport on August 31, but it was discovered that he had not boarded the flight. Her ex-husband took Ms. Bang to his home for safety.

However, they were unable to prevent the incident from occurring.

On September 1, Ms. Bang and her ex-husband were working at a studio in Setagaya with several staff members starting in the morning. Around 1:30 p.m., when Ms. Bang stepped outside the studio to smoke an e-cigarette, a scream of “Opppa, Opppa” rang out.

When the prosecution asked, “What does ‘Opppa’ mean?” the ex-husband replied,

“It means ‘older brother’ in Japanese; it’s a term of endearment used to refer to me,”

When he heard the scream, the ex-husband said, “I thought the defendant had arrived,” and went outside the studio, where

“I saw Ms. Ban bleeding profusely and a person in black clothing running away,”

he said. He tried to chase the perpetrator, but because Ms. Bang was bleeding heavily and her lower lip was trembling, he stayed where he was and pressed his left hand against her neck to try to stop the bleeding. The ex-husband described the scene using gestures. While waiting for the ambulance to arrive, he repeatedly told the unconscious Ms. Bang,

“I kept telling her, ‘Hang in there just a little longer,’”

he testified. The ex-husband also rode in the ambulance, but was told at the hospital where she was taken that Ms. Ban had died. Even as the ex-husband testified through tears, Defendant Park showed absolutely no change in expression.

The ex-husband described the victim as “a good partner.”

Next, the defendant Park’s attorney conducted cross-examination. When asked, “Why did you get divorced?” the ex-husband explained , “We had been having disagreements about having a baby for some time, ” indicating that they had differing views on whether they should have children. He added that another reason was the defendant’s presence.

“I knew she was in contact with Defendant Park (even before the divorce). Her smartphone was left open, and I could see her KakaoTalk messages. (The content) was the kind of exchange people make when they’re in a romantic relationship.”

Having sensed the presence of another man, he chose to divorce, stating that “both sides brought it up.”

The attorney repeatedly asked detailed questions about the ex-husband’s relationship with Ms. Bang after the divorce. He stated that even after the divorce, when Ms. Bang’s mother and sister visited Japan, they would go out to eat together, and he had even delivered excess kimchi to Ms. Bang on occasion. When asked about his feelings toward Ms. Bang,

“We got divorced, but I have no ill feelings toward him; he was a good friend and a good business partner,”

she recalled fondly. Although her ex-husband and Mr. Ban had built a new relationship after the divorce, it was severed due to Defendant Park’s twisted emotions. A verdict for Defendant Park is expected to be handed down shortly—.