The police are currently investigating a man in his 40s for storing the corpse of his father, who died last year, in a freezer for 14 months, focusing on uncovering his motives. According to reports on the 5th, the son, Mr. A, who was booked without detention on charges of concealing a corpse, discovered his father, Mr. B, deceased when he visited Mr. B’s home in September last year.
At the time, Mr. B had been involved in a divorce and a multi-billion won property division lawsuit with Ms. C, his wife and Mr. A’s stepmother, since July 2022. According to civil law, if a party dies during a divorce and property division lawsuit, there is no provision for someone else to continue the lawsuit, thereby terminating it. In this case, the surviving spouse is entitled to inheritance rights under the relevant laws.
If Mr. B’s death were to be revealed, the lawsuit with Ms. C would also be terminated, granting Ms. C the right to inherit not only a share of the property subject to division but also other parts of Mr. B’s estate. It is said that among the properties owned by Mr. B was the house where Mr. A was residing.
Mr. A stored Mr. B’s body, wrapped in plastic, in a kimchi refrigerator and maintained it for one year and two months until he turned himself in to the police with a lawyer on the 1st of this month. Meanwhile, the divorce lawsuit between Mr. B and Ms. C continued through legal representatives, reaching a Supreme Court decision in April, approximately six months after Mr. B’s death. It is reported that during this period, Mr. A kept Mr. B’s death a secret by using Mr. B’s phone to communicate with Ms. C via text messages.
Mr. A decided to surrender on the 1st of last month after discussions with his wife, following the filing of a missing person report by a relative and the subsequent police investigation. The police are investigating with the possibility that Mr. A committed the act due to concerns about financial disadvantages in the ongoing lawsuit tied to Mr. B’s death.
A police official stated, “We plan to review relevant documents to verify whether Mr. A acted as a proxy in Mr. B’s divorce case,” adding, “Specific details can’t be disclosed as it is an ongoing investigation.” The police received a forensic report from the National Forensic Service stating there was no external force likely to cause death, such as skull fractures or internal injuries, and that bruises were difficult to identify.