Arrest warrant for homeowner in his 80s dismissed for 'abandonment of body in Guro residential area'

(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Jeon Jae-hoon = A multi-family home owner in his 80s who was suspected of abandoning a body in a residential area in Guro-gu, Seoul, escaped arrest.

At 10:30 a.m. on the 29th, Chief Judge Kim Ji-hyun of the Seoul Southern District Court dismissed all arrest warrants for Mr. Kim, a man in his 60s and Mr. Kim, a man in his 80s, who are suspected of abandoning a corpse and instructing the abandonment of a corpse, respectively, after interrogating them (substantive warrant review) before their arrest.

Regarding Mr. Kim, in his 60s, who is accused of directly abandoning the body at a waste disposal site in a residential area in Guro-dong, Guro-gu, Chief Judge Kim explained, "Considering the fact that he has a fixed residence, admits and reflects on his mistakes, and has no history of receiving criminal punishment exceeding a fine, it is difficult to say that he is at risk of running away or destroying evidence."

He continued, “At this stage, it is difficult to acknowledge the reason, necessity, and reasonableness of the detention.”

It was also determined that there was no concern about Mr. Kim, in his 80s, who was suspected of ordering the abandonment of the body, to escape or destroy evidence.

Chief Judge Kim said, "Considering the family relationship, old age, health condition, lack of any significant criminal history other than being punished 50 years ago, and attitude during interrogation, it is difficult to recognize the reason, necessity, and reasonableness of detention at this stage."

Mr. Kim, in his 80s, is the landlord of a multi-family house in Guro-gu.

Mr. Kim, who is in his 60s, had previously lived in this house as a tenant, and it was found that he always followed Mr. Kim, who was in his 80s, like a father.

During the police investigation, they admitted to abandoning the body.

The homeowner, in his 80s, told the police that he did not know if what he was told to throw away was a body, and that he had ordered it to be thrown away because there was an object that looked like a doll.

Mr. Kim, in his 60s, told the police that he suspected that what he was throwing away could be a body.

Mr. Kim, in his 60s, who entered the court today to attend the detention review, was asked by reporters, "Did you abandon the body after knowing it was a body?" and answered, "I thought it was a doll."

When asked whether he admitted to the charge, he said "yes", and when asked whether he admitted to the charge of abandoning the body, he said "I'm sorry."

The identity of the body they abandoned was determined to be that of an illegal Chinese citizen.

The circumstances of the murder were not revealed, and the cause of death was not confirmed due to the decomposition and dryness of the body.

It was discovered that the deceased lived with his wife in a multi-family home owned by Mr. Kim, who was in his 80s.

The police estimated that the wife fled because she was concerned that if she reported her husband's death, her illegal stay would be revealed.

The body, which had previously been wrapped in plastic and newspaper, was left unattended for five days. Around 11 a.m. on the 27th, a sanitation worker from Guro-gu Office discovered it and reported it to the police. At that time, it was known that decay and drying had already progressed and it was in a 'mummified' state.