A man in his 60s has been formally indicted for neglecting his ill elderly mother to death and illegally collecting her pensions.

The Criminal Division 1 of the Gimcheon Branch of the Daegu District Prosecutors' Office (led by Senior Prosecutor Lim Ji-soo) announced today (September 10) that it has indicted the man, identified as A, on charges including abandonment of a lineal ascendant resulting in death.

According to the prosecution, A is accused of leaving his mother in her 80s without proper medical treatment at his home in Gumi, Gyeongsangbuk-do, in April of last year as her health deteriorated. After she died, he buried her body on a nearby mountain three days later.

He is also accused of fraudulently collecting about 9 million won in national and basic pensions under his mother's name for a period of about a year until last July.

A kept the incident hidden until recently telling his son, who then reported the matter to the police.

Upon receiving the report, the police apprehended A and transferred him into custody last month.

Through supplementary investigations—including the analysis of medical records, consultation with medical experts, analysis of account histories, advice from forensic pathologists, interviews with pension agency officials, and legal reviews of similar cases—the prosecution extracted a confession from A. He stated, "Due to the financial burden of medical and other expenses at the time of my mother's death, I did not take rescue measures, and I secretly buried the body on a mountain with the intent to continue fraudulently collecting her pensions."

A prosecution official stated, "We will strictly crack down on unfilial crimes against dependent family members."

(Photo: Yonhap News)