Korean man allegedly kills son, 9, in murder-suicide after losing S$175,000 in stock investments

A father and son were found dead after their bodies were discovered in separate places at an apartment complex in Yongin, South Korea, on Dec. 11.

Authorities believe the case is a murder-suicide, with a Korean man in his 40s suspected of killing his nine-year-old son before taking his own life, The Korean Herald reported.

What happened

On Dec.11, authorities reported receiving an emergency call at about 5:55 pm about a person who had fallen from a residential building in the Giheung-gu district.

Officers who arrived at the scene found a man believed to have died after falling from the 20th floor.

During the investigation, officers found a car key in the man’s pocket and traced it to a vehicle parked within the apartment complex.

The body of his nine-year-old son was discovered in the back seat, partially covered with black plastic.

Preliminary assessments suggest the child likely died from asphyxiation caused by neck compression.

Police believe the man may have killed his son before taking his own life.

CCTV footage showed the man accompanying the child home from school earlier in the day and entering the apartment complex where the family had previously lived. No third party appeared in the footage.

Relatives told officers the man had recently expressed distress after losing about 200 million won (S$175,168) in stock investments.

Investigations are ongoing.

Helplines

If you or someone you know are in mental distress, here are some hotlines you can call to seek help, advice, or just a listening ear:

National mindline.sg Hotline: 1771 (24 hours)

National mindline.sg WhatsApp: 66691771 (24 hours)

SOS 24-hour Hotline: 1-767

Singapore Association for Mental Health: 1800-283-7019

Centre for Domestic Employees: 1800 225 5233 (24 hours)

Foreign Domestic Worker Association for Social Support and Training: 1800 339 4357 (24 hours)

HOME: 1800 797 7977 or +65 9787 3122 (WhatsApp / Viber / SMS)

Top image via Unsplash and Stein Gunther on Google Maps