Even After Killing Her Husband, Lee Eunhae Collected 13 Million Won in Survivor Benefits... Why Has Not a Single Won Been Recovered?

Received 460,000 won a month for 28 months after her husband's death
Fraudulent survivors' pension claims neared 400 million won over the past five years

Lee Eunhae, who was sentenced to life imprisonment for the Gapyeong Valley murder case, received about 13 million won in survivor benefits after her husband’s death, but not a single won has been recovered.

Lee Eunhae, 31, a suspect in the "Valley Murder" case, enters the Incheon District Court in Michuhol-gu, Incheon, on the afternoon of the 19th to attend a pre-arrest hearing. Yonhap News.

According to data submitted by the National Pension Service and others to Rep. Kim Kyo-heung of the Democratic Party of Korea, a member of the National Assembly’s Health and Welfare Committee, Lee claimed survivor benefits after intentionally killing her husband in 2019. She received 460,000 won a month for 28 months, totaling about 13 million won. In 2023, following a Supreme Court ruling that finalized her life sentence, the National Pension Service abruptly revoked her entitlement to survivor benefits. However, it has been unable to pursue recovery of the benefits already paid improperly. The agency explained, “Recovery through seizure or compulsory execution is practically difficult because Lee, who is obligated to repay the money, has been in prison for an extended period and no assets in her name have been identified.”

Under current law, the National Pension Service is required to pay survivor benefits to the family of a deceased subscriber or beneficiary. However, family members who intentionally cause a subscriber’s death immediately lose their eligibility, and any benefits received through false or fraudulent means must be fully recovered. Yet over the past five years, 34 cases of improper receipt of survivor benefits were uncovered, involving about 400 million won. Only 230 million won, or 56.3%, was actually recovered, barely more than half, the data showed.

Rep. Kim Kyo-heung said, “Improperly received survivor benefits amounted to 400 million won over the past five years, and the total number of cases of National Pension fraud, including cases involving other methods such as concealing a death, is far greater.” He stressed, “We must swiftly establish strong institutional measures to pursue benefit fraudsters to the end and increase recovery rates so that law-abiding subscribers who diligently pay their contributions do not suffer losses.”

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