A woman in her 50s has been arrested and referred to the prosecution on charges of murdering her husband by secretly lacing his food with a chemical substance, following a period of deep grief over the loss of their daughter and resentment toward her husband.
The wife also consumed the food but survived, leading to her arrest.
The Gyeonggi Bundang Police Station announced that it has referred the woman, identified as A, to the prosecution on charges of murder.
A is accused of poisoning her husband, B, in his 60s, by adding a chemical substance—which is edible in small amounts but fatal in large doses—to his meal, including jjambbong (spicy seafood noodle soup), at a Chinese restaurant in Bundang-gu, Seongnam, on the afternoon of May 20.
According to the police investigation, the couple returned to the goshiwon (a small, low-cost residential facility) where they lived together after sharing the meal. The following morning, at approximately 8:40 a.m. on May 21, a neighbor at the goshiwon discovered A crawling out of their room while vomiting and reported the incident to the police.
Husband B was found dead at the scene.
A suicide note written by A was found inside the couple's room, containing expressions of remorse for their daughter, who had passed away earlier, and sentiments of despair regarding her own life.
The investigation revealed that the couple had lost their daughter to cancer several years ago. A had reportedly been keeping her daughter's remains in their car or inside their goshiwon room, leading to frequent arguments with her husband, B, who struggled with her behavior.
Initially, A claimed that she wanted to join her deceased daughter, stating, "I suggested we die together, and my husband agreed."
However, the full truth was uncovered through CCTV footage from the Chinese restaurant, which captured A secretly adding the chemical substance to the food without her husband's knowledge.
The investigation found that A arrived at the restaurant located in the same building as their goshiwon, ordered the food, and mixed the chemical substance she had brought with her into the meal before her husband arrived. They then ate the food together.
Under police questioning, A eventually confessed that she had attempted to kill them both without her husband's consent.
A had been showing signs of psychological instability since the death of their daughter and had frequently told her husband that they should "die together," according to the investigation.
A police official stated, "The court approved the arrest warrant due to the risk of A attempting suicide again and her unstable housing situation."
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