A South Korean TV host, singer and YouTuber in her 40s has been indicted on murder charges in the death of her 18-year-old daughter, authorities said.
The Jinju branch of the Changwon District Prosecutors’ Office announced on the 21st that the Defendant was formally charged with assaulting her daughter and neglecting to seek care, actions prosecutors say led to the teen’s death.
According to investigators, the incident occurred on Sept. 22 at the family’s residence in Namhae County, South Gyeongsang Province. The Defendant allegedly assaulted her daughter and poured hot water on her, causing scalp wounds and burns, then left the teen in her car for more than two days despite her complaints of severe pain.
The case came to light when the teen was rushed to an emergency room in Namhae, where medical staff noticed extensive bruising and burn marks on her scalp and alerted police. She had no pulse or respiration upon arrival, officials said.
The mother and daughter had traveled to Namhae on Sept. 21 to assist with a firefighting-related event and did not book lodging for their planned two-night, three-day stay. During that time, the daughter―left in the car―reportedly pleaded, “I’m in pain. I think I’m going to die. Please take me to the hospital,” according to JTBC.
In police questioning, the Defendant denied wrongdoing, claiming she returned to the car to find her daughter unconscious and drove her to the hospital, and that she did not realize the situation was so serious.
Prosecutors said they will pursue the case to ensure punishment commensurate with the crime if the charges are proven in court.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)