Wife Arrested for Murder After Secretly Adding Chemical to Husband's Food

Claimed "We Decided to Die Together,"
But Confessed to Murder
Psychological Instability After Losing Daughter...
Detained and Referred for Prosecution Last Month

A woman in her 50s, who had exhibited psychological instability after losing her daughter to cancer several years ago, has been arrested and referred for prosecution on charges of killing her husband by secretly adding a chemical substance to his food. The woman also consumed the same food, was hospitalized, and survived after receiving treatment.

Bundang Police Station Image

According to Yonhap News on July 8, the Bundang Police Station in Gyeonggi Province referred a woman in her 50s, identified as Ms. A, for indictment on murder charges on June 22.

Ms. A is accused of secretly mixing a chemical substance into her husband Mr. B's food at a Chinese restaurant in Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi Province, on the afternoon of May 20, resulting in his death.

The police investigation found that Ms. A arrived at the restaurant before Mr. B, ordered food, and added the chemical substance before her husband arrived. The couple then dined together and returned to their residence, a gosiwon (a type of small rooming house) in the same building.

At around 8:40 a.m. the next day, a neighbor found Ms. A vomiting and coming out of her room, and subsequently reported it. When police and emergency services arrived, they found Mr. B dead inside the room, while Ms. A was transported to the hospital and received treatment.

At the scene, a suicide note written by Ms. A was found, expressing guilt over her daughter’s death after years of battling cancer and despair over her own situation.

Ms. A reportedly displayed psychological instability after losing her daughter and had repeatedly said to her husband, "Let's die together."

In the initial stages of the investigation, Ms. A told the police that she "suggested they die together and her husband agreed." Based on this, the police initially considered charges of aiding or abetting suicide and, taking into account her mental state, admitted her to a psychiatric hospital.

However, after reviewing CCTV footage from the restaurant, police discovered images of Ms. A secretly mixing the chemical substance into her husband's food, which shifted the direction of the investigation. When confronted with the footage, Ms. A reportedly admitted to committing the act without her husband's consent and acknowledged the charge of murder.

A police official stated, "There are concerns that Ms. A may attempt suicide again, and her living situation is unstable, so the court also deemed detention necessary." The official added, "It is difficult to disclose specific details such as the type of chemical substance or the quantities each person consumed."

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This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.