By Kim Rahn
Staff Reporter

An elementary student was found to have used the registration number of Lee Hak-man, the ex-convict suspected of killing two police officers Sunday, police said, following the release of Lee’s personal information.

Tuesday night police made a search for Lee in two apartment buildings in Donam-dong, northern Seoul, after being tipped off that someone using a personal computer in the buildings had created an ID at a Web site using Lee’s registration number at around 4:10 p.m.

However, it was found Wednesday that an elementary student living in the apartment, identified as Lee, had used the murder suspect’s registration number after obtaining it from a leaflet distributed by police.

The police said they made the discovery after tracing the Internet IP. The 12-year-old student confessed to the police that he had logged on at the Web site with Lee’s number and downloaded online games.

The 200-strong police force that had carried out searches in the 700 apartments in the buildings withdrew Wednesday morning. The police said they will not punish the boy, due to the consideration of his age, but will issue a caution.

Since Lee’s flight, the police have distributed about 50,000 leaflets carrying his photo and personal information, including his registration number. The information has also been released through newspapers and broadcasts.

However, the police have been criticized for overlooking other possible uses of registration numbers and hindering their own operations by using this strategy.

But the police have announced they will not withdraw the leaflets from circulation, saying they reveal the detailed personal information of felons on principle.

Other similar cases have also been reported to the police. At 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, someone registered at a chat room with Lee’s registration number, and another ID was created with Lee’s number at a game site during the police’s search of the apartments.

Meanwhile, the police withdrew the arrest warrant for Lee’s accomplice Kim but are continuing to investigate him following the prosecution’s order to delay the warrant until Lee is captured.

rahnita@koreatimes.co.kr