Insurance agent buys life insurance for her sick son a day before his death
Police officials said Saturday they have handed over a murder and attempted fraud case to prosecutors concerning an insurance agent, who did not take any measures to help her dying son but subscribed to a life insurance policy in his name.
The son of the suspect, who was in his 30s, had been coughing up blood throughout the night from 10 p.m. on Sept. 20, 2023, in their apartment in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province. The suspect in her 60s, however, did not take him to a hospital or take any other medically relevant measures, according to the Gyeonggi Bukbu Provincial Police Agency. The victim was later taken to a hospital by an acquaintance but died the next day due to his weakened physical condition from liver disease.
It was discovered that the suspect had purchased life insurance for her son with a 200 million won ($143,000) payout in case of death, the day after the son started coughing up blood.
The insurance agency suspected foul play, as the victim died just eight hours after subscribing to the insurance plan, and reported the case to the police in January 2024.
Police said they are seeking charges of murder via gross negligence for the suspect. Murder by gross negligence is not specified in the Criminal Act, but legal precedents since a landmark 1987 Supreme Court case have said that taking certain actions while acknowledging that they can lead to the death of another could constitute murder.
The suspect claimed that she did not know that her son had coughed up blood on the night he fell fatally ill.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Korea Herald
2 days ago
- Korea Herald
Argentine ex-President Kirchner handed house arrest
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (Reuters) — An Argentine judge on Tuesday put former President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner under house arrest to serve out a six-year sentence for corruption in a case that has effectively brought down the country's most prominent politician in recent decades. Kirchner, 72, a polarizing leftist two-term president from 2007 to 2015, as well as a former first lady, VP and Senator, was convicted by a court in 2022 over a fraud scheme involving public projects in Patagonia that allegedly benefited an ally. Argentina's Supreme Court last week upheld the conviction and sentence following an appeal. That also includes a lifetime ban from holding public political office. Kirchner has denied wrongdoing, claiming political persecution. The judge on Tuesday ruled that Kirchner should serve the sentence, effective immediately, at her Buenos Aires residence due to her age, adding she would wear an electronic ankle tag. Kirchner had sought house arrest to avoid going to jail. She must remain at home except for court-approved or justified exceptions and, within 48 working hours, provide a list of authorized individuals, including household members and medical staff. Other visitors will require court approval. Kirchner is one of Argentina's most divisive political figures. Her influence still looms large over the left-leaning Peronist movement, even after its defeat in 2023 to libertarian President Javier Milei. On Tuesday, a few thousand supporters rallied in Buenos Aires, banging drums, blocking roads and waving banners bearing the image of Eva Peron, the iconic former first lady. "Evita" was revered by many Argentines for her advocacy for the poor and workers' rights during her husband Juan Peron's presidency in the mid-20th century. "We're going to keep fighting for her release," said Manuel Ortiz, a Kirchner supporter, outside her Buenos Aires apartment. "We're going to fight with everything and give our lives for her, because we are Peronists." Kirchner's popularity and the broader Peronist movement have taken a hit in recent years, especially during her 2019–2023 vice presidency under Alberto Fernandez. His administration struggled with runaway inflation and a deepening economic crisis driven in part by excessive money printing. Despite her legal setbacks, Kirchner retains a fiercely loyal support base, particularly among working-class voters who benefited from subsidies during her presidency and that of her late husband Nestor Kirchner. She is not the first Argentine leader to face criminal conviction. Former President Carlos Menem was sentenced to over four years in prison for embezzlement in the 1990s, though his role as senator shielded him from serving time behind bars.
Korea Herald
2 days ago
- Korea Herald
Slush fund past dogs prime minister nominee
Prime Minister nominee Kim Min-seok is facing growing calls from the main opposition party to withdraw from his nomination over political slush fund scandals that occurred in the 2000s. The four-term liberal lawmaker, who was nominated for prime minister by President Lee Jae Myung on June 4, was convicted by the country's top court in 2005 of violating the Political Funds Act by receiving 200 million won ($146,500) in illegal funds from conglomerate SK Group in 2002. He received the funds during his campaign for Seoul mayor as the candidate for the Millennium Democratic Party, the main liberal party at the time. The Supreme Court in 2005 sentenced Kim to eight months in prison, two years of probation and the forfeiture of 200 million won, finding him guilty of violating the Political Funds Act. Additionally, the Supreme Court in 2010 found him guilty in a separate political slush fund case, in which he received illegal funds worth a combined 720 million won from three of his aides in 2007. He was fined 6 million won and forfeited 720 million won for violating the Political Funds Act again. The main opposition People Power Party has recently ramped up its calls for Kim to withdraw his nomination. The main opposition members of the National Assembly's special committee on personnel hearing, including People Power Party Rep. Bae Joon-young, claimed Tuesday that "candidate (Kim) and the Democratic Party of Korea are not cooperative" with the preparations for the prime minister nominee's upcoming parliamentary hearing. The committee announced Tuesday afternoon that Kim's confirmation hearing has been scheduled for June 24 to 25. The 13-member committee, tasked with handling the nominee's confirmation hearing, is formed of seven Democratic Party lawmakers, five People Power Party lawmakers and one non-parliamentary member. The People Power Party members of the committee urged Kim and the ruling party to submit evidence and summon witnesses tied to multiple accusations surrounding Kim, including his political slush fund case. People Power Party spokesperson Ho Jun-seok even proposed launching a special counsel investigation into the charges in a Monday commentary. Kim has repeatedly brushed off his court convictions as mere 'allegations.' "The targeted investigation (against me by the prosecution) did not end the first time," Kim wrote in a Facebook post Tuesday. The post echoes his Facebook post shared the previous day, where he wrote, "the Political Funds Act case is essentially a targeted investigation of me by a political prosecution — it is a targeted investigation that does not even make clear who demanded the political funding and why." Kim said that his party at the time asked for corporate donations without his knowledge. President Lee, meanwhile, downplayed the scandal surrounding Kim when speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Canada for the G7 summit early Tuesday. "I asked Kim in person and he explained that they were mere allegations, which he can sufficiently explain at the confirmation hearing," Lee told reporters. Besides the political slush fund scandals, Kim is accused of abusing his power as a lawmaker to aid his son's extracurricular projects and help him gain admission to a US university. Critics are also questioning the master's degree Kim claims to have received from Tsinghua University in China in 2010, which was the same year he ran for mayor of Busan and failed.
Korea Herald
3 days ago
- Korea Herald
Prime Minister nominee faces calls to withdraw over slush fund scandals
Prime Minister nominee Kim Min-seok is facing growing calls from the main opposition party to withdraw his nomination over political slush fund scandals that occurred in the 2000s. The four-term liberal lawmaker, who was nominated for prime minister by President Lee Jae Myung on June 4, was convicted by the country's top court in 2005 of violating the Political Funds Act by receiving illegal political funds worth 200 million won ($146,900) from SK Group in 2002. He received the funds during his campaign for Seoul mayor as the candidate for the Millennium Democratic Party, the main liberal bloc at the time. The Supreme Court in 2005 sentenced Kim to eight months in prison, two years of probation and the forfeiture of 200 million won, finding him guilty of violating the Political Funds Act. Additionally, the Supreme Court in 2010 found him guilty in a separate political slush fund case, in which he received illegal funds worth a combined 720 million won from three of his aides in 2007. He was fined 6 million won and forfeited 720 million won. The main opposition People Power Party in recent days has ramped up its calls for Kim to withdraw his nomination. People Power Party spokesperson Ho Jun-seok even proposed launching a special counsel investigation into the charges in a Monday commentary. Kim has repeatedly brushed off his court convictions as mere 'allegations.' "The Political Funds Act case is essentially a targeted investigation of me by a political prosecution," Kim wrote in a Facebook post Monday. "It is a targeted investigation that does not even make clear who demanded the political funding and why." Kim said that his party at the time asked for corporate donations without his knowledge. President Lee, meanwhile, downplayed the scandal surrounding Kim, speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Canada for the Group of 7 summit. Kim will be able to "sufficiently explain" himself at his upcoming confirmation hearing, Lee said. As of Tuesday, the rival parties were struggling to set a date for Kim's confirmation hearing. The Democratic Party of Korea suggested the hearing take place from June 23 to 24 -- for two days -- while the People Power Party pushed for a three-day hearing from June 23 to 25.
