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Police detain man accused of killing five family members in Yongin

Published: 17 Apr. 2025, 18:33

A man in his 50s suspected of murdering his parents, wife and two daughters in Yongin, Gyeonggi, was detained by police on April 17. [YONHAP]

A man in his 50s who allegedly murdered five members of his family, including his parents, wife and two daughters, in Yongin, Gyeonggi, was detained by police on Thursday.

The Suwon District Court issued a pretrial detention warrant for the suspect at around 5:15 p.m. after a court hearing that began at 2:30 p.m.

“He poses a risk of destroying evidence or attempting to flee,” the judge said of the decision.

The man is accused of giving sleeping pills to his family members — including his parents in their 80s, his wife in her 50s, his daughter in her 20s and another daughter in her teens — on the night of April 14. He allegedly strangled each of them after they fell unconscious.

The suspect left a suicide note before fleeing to a studio apartment in the southwestern city of Gwangju in his car. Police apprehended him there on the morning of April 15.

During questioning, the man told investigators he was driven to commit the crime due to heavy debt and ongoing civil and criminal lawsuits related to his failed business.

The Yongin Seobu Police Precinct sought a warrant for his arrest on Wednesday on charges of parricide and murder.

The man left the police detention center at 1:15 p.m. on Thursday to attend the court hearing. He did not respond to reporters' questions, including why he killed his family and why he fled to Gwangju. He kept his head down and remained silent.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.

BY CHO MUN-KYU [[email protected]]