Landlord in 'Mummified Body' Dumping Case Says "I Thought It Was a Doll"... Arrest Warrants to Be Sought Today

Longstanding landlord-tenant relationship
Deceased's identity and cause of death remain unknown

Both men arrested on suspicion of abandoning a mummified body in a pile of trash in a residential neighborhood in Guro-gu, Seoul, reportedly denied the charges, saying they "did not know it was a body."

Trash awaiting collection is piled up at Yeouido Hangang Park in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. The photo is not directly related to the article. Yonhap News.

Guro Police Station in Seoul said on October 28 that it had completed its initial questioning of a man in his 60s, identified as A, on suspicion of abandoning a body, and a man in his 80s, identified as B, on suspicion of instructing someone to abandon a body.

According to police, A is suspected of abandoning the body on October 22 at a designated trash disposal area in a residential neighborhood in Guro-dong, Guro-gu, Seoul, after wrapping it in plastic and newspaper, following B's instructions.

During questioning, the two admitted to abandoning the body but claimed they did not know it was a human body. A reportedly said, "I suspected it might be a body while I was disposing of it, but I followed the instructions." B reportedly denied the charge, saying, "I only told him to throw away something that looked like a doll. I didn't know it was a body." Police said they have doubts about the two men's statements and will verify their credibility.

Police questioning confirmed that B owns the multi-family residential building where the body was found. A and B came to know each other when A was a tenant and B was his landlord. A reportedly continued to regard B as a father figure and help him with work even after moving out. Investigators found that A acted alone in disposing of the body on the day it was abandoned, following B's instructions.

The body was found by a district sanitation worker at around 11 a.m. on October 27, five days after it was abandoned. When discovered, it was wrapped in plastic and newspaper, and had undergone partial decomposition and mummification. There were reportedly no obvious signs of homicide on the body. Police estimate that the deceased was a man in his 50s to 80s.

Police identified the two men through nearby CCTV footage and interviews with residents, then arrested them sequentially at their respective homes between 4 p.m. and 4:15 p.m. that same day. Investigators found that the body remained at the same location from the time it was abandoned on October 22 until it was discovered.

Police said they plan to seek arrest warrants for the two men and determine the exact cause of death through an autopsy by the National Forensic Service on October 28. Based on the autopsy results and further investigation, they will also determine whether the suspects were involved in the death and whether to apply additional charges.

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