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The Cruel Dual Life of a 'Philanthropy King' Worth 10 Billion Won: 'Unanswered Questions' Investigates the Seocho Suitcase Murder Case

입력 : 2026.06.27 15:47


The full story of a horrific murder committed by a man known to those around him as a 'philanthropy king' and a multi-millionaire worth 10 billion won is set to be revealed.

In the upcoming episode of SBS's 'Unanswered Questions' airing on June 27, the program will delve into the double life of a man and the mystery surrounding a death under the subtitle, 'Between Two Graves - The Seocho Suitcase Murder Case.'

Lee, a 60-year-old man, had earned deep trust in his community by frequently donating daily necessities like rice and coal briquettes to neighbors in need and leading volunteer activities for children. As a wealthy individual with assets worth 10 billion won, his sudden disappearance after March 30 led acquaintances to report him missing to the police.

However, Lee appeared in the news a few days later in a shocking turn of events. He had not gone missing; rather, he was arrested in the act for murder and abandonment of a corpse in a drainage ditch on a mountain in Eumseong-gun, North Chungcheong Province. He had murdered a woman in her 50s in Seocho-gu, Seoul, and was caught while attempting to dispose of her body in a large blue suitcase.

The victim who met this tragic end at the hands of Lee was none other than his ex-wife. The two had been married for 28 years before divorcing just three months prior to the incident. Lee, the perpetrator, claims that he killed her in a fit of rage after she slapped him during an argument over a property division lawsuit, causing his glasses to fly off, which led him to impulsively strangle her.

After the crime, Lee placed the body in a suitcase, loaded it into his vehicle, and drove a total of 243 kilometers, passing through Yeongwol-gun, Gangwon Province, to Eumseong-gun, North Chungcheong Province. He claimed that he intended to take his own life out of guilt for murdering his ex-wife and had visited two locations where his parents' graves are located to pay his final respects.

Regarding this, the victim's son expressed his outrage, stating, "My mother is the victim, and the perpetrator is my father. He is a devil in human skin."

As the investigation continued, further questions surfaced. Although Lee was a massive asset holder who earned 10 million won per month in real estate rental income from assets inherited from his parents, neither his ex-wife nor his two sons knew the exact scale of his wealth until the property division lawsuit began. Why had Lee hidden his assets so thoroughly from his family?

An even more chilling detail is the content of the last phone call the son remembers having with Lee. According to the son's testimony, Lee left a mysterious remark: "Your grandfather was suspected of something similar back in his day, but it passed quietly. This will pass quietly, too." What could the "suspicion at the time of the grandfather's death" mentioned by Lee, who was always a source of fear and terror within the family, possibly mean?

The cruel true face of Lee, hidden behind the mask of a 'philanthropy king,' will be revealed on 'Unanswered Questions,' airing on Saturday, June 27, at 11:10 p.m.

(SBS Entertainment News, Reporter Kang Seon-ae)