“Was it because of Burning Sun?” The late Goo Hara’s cellphone theft case re-examined

This discovery has brought renewed focus to the robbery that took place at her residence following her passing.

The theft occurred on January 14th, 2020 at 12:15 AM and involved a number of items, including Goo Hara’s cellphone. According to CCTV footage, an unknown individual scaled a wall and took a personal safe. This incident took place 50 days after Goo Hara’s passing in November 2019.

The individual caught on the CCTV footage was approximately 175cm in height and had glasses on. He made an effort to gain entry into the house by using the password previously set by Goo Hara. However, when the password did not grant him access, he resorted to breaking in through the second-floor balcony and taking only Goo Hara’s personal safe. Goo Hara’s brother, Goo Ho-in, filed a formal report with the police regarding the burglary.

Goo Hara’s associates suspected that the burglary could have been planned by someone who knew her well, or potentially by an accomplice acting on their behalf. This suspicion arose as the perpetrator went directly to the location of the safe, disregarding other valuable possessions. They proposed that the burglar may have been familiar with the layout of the home, which would be unlikely for an outsider to know.

Additionally, the theft occurring right after Goo Ho-in had departed the house following the 49th day of Goo Hara’s death raised doubts that the culprit had purposely chosen a time when the house was unoccupied. Furthermore, there were fears that the stolen items were not taken randomly, but rather with a specific purpose in mind.

The safe owned by Goo Hara held more than just expensive jewelry, as it also contained vital documents and contracts pertaining to her investments, as well as an old cellphone. Due to the possibility of personal information being stored on the phone, there were speculations that the theft was motivated by a desire to obtain this data. According to Goo Hara’s family’s lawyer, No Jong-eon, it is possible that there was something much more significant than just jewelry inside the safe.

Despite conducting an investigation for over 9 months, the police were unable to identify the man captured in the CCTV footage. As a result, the case remains unsolved. Even those who were close to Goo Hara, such as her family and acquaintances, were unable to recognize the suspect depicted in the CCTV images.

Bae Sang-hoon, the profiler, examined the MBC case and concluded that the suspect’s attire and method of entry suggested that he was not an experienced thief. It was speculated that the suspect may have had a sedentary occupation as his clothing contained reflective features, something a seasoned thief would avoid. Furthermore, Bae Sang-hoon pointed out the suspect’s cautious mannerisms and lack of familiarity with the house layout, indicating that he may have been acting under the guidance of someone else.

Profiler Bae, while discussing the stolen cellphone, noted that with the advancements in private forensic services, it is now possible to extract data from phones. He suggested that the theft of Goo Hara’s private phone may have been orchestrated by someone who was aware of its importance, with the intention of obtaining sensitive information stored on the device.