Indictment details harrowing story of how suspected killer grew paranoid of family, despite continued financial support

A 62-year-old man suspected of killing his son is escorted to the public prosecutors' office by officers of Nonhyeon Police Station in Incheon on July 30. (Yonhap)
A 62-year-old man suspected of killing his son is escorted to the public prosecutors' office by officers of Nonhyeon Police Station in Incheon on July 30. (Yonhap)

A 62-year-old man who is to stand trial for the July 20 murder of his son is alleged to have shot the victim as he begged his father not to kill him. It was also found that the defendant had received as much as 6.4 million won ($4,600) a month from the victim and the victim's mother — the defendant's ex-wife — and that he also received money from his sister without working.

Rep. Joo Jin-woo of the main opposition People Power Party on Monday revealed the arraignment documents he received from the Incheon District Prosecutors' Office, which detail a history of extortion and paranoia.

The defendant, who was divorced after being convicted of a sexual crime, had not held permanent employment since he was released from detention in 1999. His ex-wife had reportedly put off the divorce out of fear that it would negatively affect their then-young son, as she continued to be the primary breadwinner of the family.

When the couple finally separated in 2015 after the son's marriage, the defendant's ex-wife sent monthly payments of 3.2 million won to him. The victim, working with his mother, started giving his father the same amount every month beginning in August 2021, with the mother and son reportedly not realizing that the defendant was getting money from both of them at the same time.

According to the prosecution, the defendant squandered away most of the money on what was described as "entertainment." The 3.2 million won he got from each of the victim and ex-wife is well above the 1.82 million won a person earning minimum wage would have made in a month in 2021, considering a standard 40-hour workweek.

Realizing that the man was double-dipping, the ex-wife decided to cut him off in November 2023. The defendant then received additional payments from his sister beginning January 2024, while continuing to get the regular contributions from his son.

Suspect wanted to kill ‘everything his ex-wife holds dear’

The defendant was living alone in Dobong-gu, Seoul, in a 231-square-meter apartment unit that belongs to his ex-wife, a high-ranking official of an aesthetics company. Despite the ex-wife and son's continued generosity, he believed they were responsible for all his financial issues.

Police reported that the defendant thought he had a happy, cohesive family even after his sex crime, refusing to believe that his ex-wife merely postponed the divorce for their son's sake.

According to the prosecution, the defendant decided to kill his son's entire family as an act of revenge against his ex-wife. He decided to use a homemade gun and shotgun rounds he bought 20 years ago, thinking that it would be difficult to overpower his son with a knife.

The man went to his son's home on July 20 to attend his own birthday party, which had been arranged by his son. When the victim opened the door, the defendant immediately shot him, firing an additional shot as the victim pleaded, "Please spare my life."

It was only by stroke of luck that he failed to kill the victim's wife, their two children and a tutor who was at the scene, as they barely escaped when the makeshift gun malfunctioned.

The defendant had also planned to set his home on fire, with explosives set to detonate at noon the next day.

The defendant has been indicted for murder, multiple counts of attempted murder, illegal possession of a firearm and attempted arson. He is being held in detention and will have his first court hearing on Sept. 19 at the Incheon District Court.


minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com