Man Suspected Of Killing Family Said He Did So Over Fear Suicide Would Tranfer Debt To Them

 
A man in his 50s who killed five members of his family — his elderly parents, wife and two daughters — did so because he feared that if he died by suicide, the debt he owed would burden his surviving family members.
 
Authorities said he planned the murders in detail, including obtaining sleeping pills from a hospital in advance.
 
 
According to an indictment obtained by Democratic Party Rep. Park Ji-won from the Ministry of Justice and released Sunday, the man, identified by the surname Lee, was charged with parricide, murder and violations of the Narcotics Control Act.
 
Lee was the head of a housing construction company and had signed a service contract in March 2023 with a cooperative preparatory committee and the city of Gwangju to build a private rental apartment complex.
 
However, Lee began recruiting tenants through a promotional center without registering the project with the relevant district office. As a result, he became the subject of a police investigation for business malpractice and other charges. Once authorities raided the promotional center, contract holders discovered the investigation and began filing civil and criminal complaints against him.
 
Facing tens of billions of won in debt, Lee initially planned to take his own life using sleeping pills. But fearing that his death would transfer the financial burden to his family — who had no means of supporting themselves — he decided to kill them first.
 
 
Medical records show that Lee was diagnosed with insomnia at a psychiatric clinic in Gwangju in January and February and was prescribed sleeping pills. He received another prescription on March 27 — 18 days before the crime.
 
On April 14, the day of the crime, he drugged his parents, wife, and two daughters — one in her 20s and the other a teenager — at their apartment in Yongin. Once they fell asleep, he carried out the killings.
 
The incident came to light after Lee phoned a relative and said he intended to “end it all.” The relative called emergency services. Firefighters forced open the front door of the apartment and found the deceased. A memo resembling a suicide note was also discovered at the scene.
 
Lee fled to an officetel in Gwangju, where he was arrested. He reportedly lived in Gwangju during the week and spent weekends at the family’s home.
 
 
In a police investigation, Lee admitted to the charges, saying he was concerned that the heavy debt from his failed business and ongoing lawsuits would burden his family. He nodded in affirmation when asked by reporters on April 24 — the day he was handed over to prosecutors — whether the murders had been premeditated.
 
The Suwon District Prosecutors’ Office’s Criminal Division 3 indicted him on May 12. His first trial is scheduled for 11:20 a.m. on June 10 at the Suwon District Court.


Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY CHOI MO-RAN [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]