Lawyer's 22-year mystery: Disappeared 2 months before wedding

The disappearance of lawyer Lee Jong-woon, who vanished without a trace just two months before his wedding, is being brought back into the spotlight. Although 22 years have passed since the incident, his whereabouts remain unknown, and several questions raised during the original investigation are once again drawing attention.

The E Channel original web variety show 'Hyung-Suda Season 2', released on the YouTube channel 'Criminals' Chatter' on the 17th, focuses on the disappearance of Lee.

In this episode, lawyer Na Jae-min, a former judge, along with profiler Kwon Il-yong, Ahn Jung-hwan, and Kim Nam-il, appear to retrace the circumstances of the case.

Na introduced the case, stating, "I passed the bar exam in 2000, and a senior lawyer who had passed a year before me suddenly disappeared."

In July 2004, while working at a law firm in Seoul, Lee vanished after leaving work as usual. At the time, he was a groom-to-be with his wedding only two months away. Law firm employees testified that he left the office after receiving a phone call from someone just before leaving work. His family believed he had gone to meet his fiancée, but she stated that they did not meet at that time.

Instead, she explained, "He said he would go on vacation after finishing a regional trial the next day." However, police investigations confirmed that the trial in question had already been assigned to another lawyer. As the investigation progressed, doubts were also raised regarding the fiancée's testimony.

The fiancée claimed that Lee had demanded a spacious apartment, a luxury foreign car, and a private office as conditions for marriage, suggesting he might have disappeared after borrowing 50,000,000 won from her.

However, acquaintances remembered Lee as a very frugal person, and the broadcast reported that circumstances contradicting the fiancée's claims were confirmed during the police's review of financial records and related materials.

Even more incomprehensible events followed after the incident. Unidentified phone calls and faxes announcing the broken engagement arrived at his hometown house. It was also reported that administrative procedures requiring personal identification, such as address changes, cancellation of resident registration, and changes to insurance beneficiaries, were carried out under Lee's name.

Furthermore, the broadcast introduces allegations that the fiancée was dating and living with another man while preparing for marriage with Lee. Additionally, it was reported that road CCTV footage obtained at the time captured a man wearing clothing similar to Lee's sitting in the passenger seat of a vehicle driven by the fiancée.

However, the broadcast explained that the footage alone could not identify the individual or prove a connection to the case, so it was not adopted as decisive evidence.

The disappearance of Lee remains a long-term unsolved case, with his life or death still unconfirmed. The production team stated they are waiting for tips from anyone who witnessed the incident or knows relevant information.

During the recording, Ahn said, "I hope something is revealed. It is such a tragic case," and Kim also expressed his sorrow, saying, "My heart is heavy when I think about the pain the family must have endured."