Court cites no flight risk or evidence-tampering concern

Victim identified as undocumented Chinese national

A view of a densely packed multi-unit residential neighborhood in Songpa-gu, Seoul. This photo is not directly related to the article. [Lim Se-jun]
A view of a densely packed multi-unit residential neighborhood in Songpa-gu, Seoul. This photo is not directly related to the article. [Lim Se-jun]

A court has rejected arrest warrants for two suspects — an 80-year-old landlord and a man in his 60s — accused of abandoning a corpse in a residential neighborhood in Guro-gu, Seoul. The court found that neither posed a significant risk of fleeing or destroying evidence.

Seoul Southern District Court Judge Kim Ji-hyun, who oversees warrant reviews, conducted pre-arrest hearings Thursday for the man in his 60s, surnamed Kim, charged with abandoning the body, and the man in his 80s, also surnamed Kim, charged with ordering the act. The judge rejected both warrants.

Regarding the 60-year-old Kim, who is accused of personally dumping the body at a trash collection point in Guro-dong, Guro-gu, Judge Kim said the court found it difficult to conclude there was a risk of flight or evidence tampering, citing the suspect's fixed residence, acknowledgment of wrongdoing and remorse, and lack of any prior criminal conviction beyond a fine. "At this stage, it is difficult to recognize the grounds, necessity, and proportionality of detention," the judge added.

The court reached the same conclusion for the 80-year-old Kim, who is accused of ordering the disposal. Judge Kim cited the suspect's family situation, advanced age, health condition, and clean record — apart from a conviction 50 years ago — as well as the suspect's demeanor during the hearing, saying the grounds and urgency for detention at this stage could not be established.

The 80-year-old Kim owns the multi-unit residential building in Guro-gu. The 60-year-old Kim previously lived in the building as a tenant and was said to have regarded the older man as a father figure.

Both suspects acknowledged to police that they had disposed of the body. However, the 80-year-old Kim stated that he had told the other to throw away what appeared to be a doll-like object, saying he did not know it was a corpse. The 60-year-old Kim told police that he had suspected the object might be a body.

As the 60-year-old Kim arrived at court Thursday, reporters asked whether the suspect had known it was a corpse when disposing of it. "I thought it was a doll," Kim said. Asked whether the charges were admitted, Kim replied, "Yes," and said, "I am sorry," regarding the body-dumping allegation.

The victim was identified as an undocumented Chinese national. Police found no signs of foul play, and the exact cause of death could not be determined due to decomposition and desiccation of the body.

The deceased had lived in the 80-year-old Kim's building with a spouse before death. Police believe the spouse may have fled out of fear that reporting the death would expose the couple's undocumented status.

The body, wrapped in plastic and newspaper, had lain undiscovered for five days before a sanitation worker employed by the Guro-gu office found it around 11 a.m. Tuesday. The body was in a mummified state at the time of discovery due to advanced decomposition and desiccation.


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