The June 27 episode of SBS’s Unanswered Questions delved into the horrific murder case of a man worth over 10 billion KRW, titled "Between Two Graves - The Seocho Suitcase Murder Case."
On March 30, a man identified as Lee was caught red-handed in Seocho-gu, Seoul, while attempting to dispose of his ex-wife’s body in a suitcase. Lee was known in his community as a model volunteer. At the time, an acquaintance had reported Lee missing to the police after being unable to reach him. He was a man of two starkly different faces.
The victim was his ex-wife, So-young, whom he had divorced just three months prior after 28 years of marriage. Following the divorce, So-young filed a lawsuit for property division. Lee claimed that he killed her in a fit of rage during an argument over the lawsuit.
Lee claimed that after putting the body in a suitcase, he visited his parents' graves in Yeongwol, Gangwon-do, and Eumseong, Chungcheongbuk-do, before intending to take his own life.
Lee’s sons, who were also the victim’s children, expressed their fury, calling him a "devil" and a "psychopath." They revealed that while Lee was a hero to the public, he was a tyrant at home.
Furthermore, So-young and her sons had no idea about the true scale of Lee’s wealth during their 22 years of marriage. It turned out that Lee was a multi-millionaire worth over 10 billion KRW. In 2018, he received his father’s building in Majang-dong through a transfer from his father, and he also owned six officetels in prime Gangnam locations and two apartments jointly owned with his wife.
Despite earning an estimated 10 million KRW per month from real estate rentals without a formal job, Lee provided no living expenses to his wife. So-young had to work for years to support herself and her sons, earning approximately 600 million KRW on her own.
While preparing for the property division lawsuit, So-young discovered Lee’s rental contracts, which led her to suspect his true financial status, though she never fully grasped the extent of his assets.
Lee received the property division lawsuit notice on March 9. While he admitted to being stressed by his obsession with money, he denied it was the motive for murder. He claimed that his ex-wife slapped him so hard his glasses flew off, causing him to kill her in a sudden rage.
However, when disposing of the body, Lee had placed it in a suitcase, wrapped the head in a plastic bag, and tied it with a necktie. The bag and tie were tightly constricting the victim’s face and neck.
An expert noted, "He likely did that to ensure she was dead. The autopsy showed marks from the necktie, indicating it was tied very tightly. It is difficult to accept that there was no intent to kill when he assaulted her, strangled her, and then covered her with a bag and tied it with a necktie."
It was also revealed that while transporting the body in the suitcase, Lee stopped at a restaurant near his home for breakfast and chatted with a friend on the phone as if nothing had happened.
After his arrest, Lee sent letters to his sons that showed no remorse. Instead, he asked if his assets were safe and even lectured his children.
During the investigation, another suspicious death in Lee’s circle came to light: his father, who died while taking a bath.
Lee’s son recalled that while transporting the body, Lee had said, "People were suspicious when your grandfather died, but it blew over quietly. It will blow over this time, too," raising questions about the remark.
In 2016, Lee sold his father’s building in Majang-dong, valued at 3 billion KRW, citing his parents' health as the reason. This sale became the foundation for his current wealth.
Afterward, Lee lived alone with his father in a Seocho-gu apartment, but the burden of care fell on So-young. Even on the day of his death, his father was being cared for by So-young. He was reportedly healthy, yet he died suddenly. No autopsy was performed, and Lee insisted on cremation despite his father’s wish for a burial.
An expert analyzed Lee’s comment to his son as a way of "showing that he is still in control of the situation. It sounds like a monologue to soothe himself."
Lee continued to send letters to his sons, filled with anger and threats. He pressured them to drop the property division lawsuit and even ordered them to hire a top-tier criminal defense attorney for him.
Experts noted that his letters, devoid of repentance and focused solely on money, showed that "he is only worried about the disadvantages he will face by killing his wife. He is a person for whom protecting money is paramount."
It was also discovered that while Lee had usually watched action films or adult content, his viewing of crime-related videos increased around the time of the crime. The day before the crime, he watched 20 hours of crime-related videos.
Many of these videos featured scenes of strangulation, covering victims' heads with plastic bags, and disposing of bodies in suitcases. Experts pointed out that this is "very important evidence that could solidify the suspicion that the crime was premeditated."
So-young had even cared for her mother-in-law, who was battling illness, but Lee was only interested in her money. His mother’s diary expressed gratitude and apologies to her daughter-in-law, and it was So-young who provided her last meal.
An expert speculated, "To this man, his wife’s utility had diminished. Since his parents had passed away, she no longer offered him any benefit, so he had no attachment to the relationship. He likely thought through his options meticulously once the lawsuit began, and murder may have been among the options he considered."
Lee’s sons were outraged that after killing their mother, Lee changed his mobile profile message to a "rainbow bridge" (a term often used for pets passing away), wondering if he viewed their mother as nothing more than a pet.
Lee became agitated whenever the topic of money was raised. In an interview with the production team, he insisted he had done his best to care for his parents, saying, "I paid for all of my mother’s hospital bills. Every time she was hospitalized, it cost 20 million KRW. Honestly, that was stressful."
Lee has hired four lawyers. The broadcast concluded by stating that it is impossible for a fair and just legal system not to recognize a sinner who has turned his back on natural duty, and expressed firm belief that he will receive the punishment he deserves for his crimes.
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kim Hyo-jung)