Son Freezes Father’s Body to Stall Inheritance Battle
An Unbelievable Discovery
In April 2023 a 48-year-old son visited his father’s home in Icheon only to find him already deceased and chose not to report the death
The son wrapped the body in plastic and kept it in a kimchi freezer for 1 year and 7 months, hoping to delay final court rulings in his father’s divorce and property division case
The first-instance court sentenced him to three years in prison, citing the long concealment and the motive of gaining an upper hand in inheritance matters [web:2][web:4]
Inheritance Race and Legal Loopholes
Under Korean civil law an ongoing divorce or property-division suit ceases when a party dies, leaving the surviving spouse with full inheritance rights
Online Shock and Debate
Naver bloggers described the case as shocking and grotesque, with about 80 percent expressing outrage over the motive and prolonged concealment [web:6][web:12]
What International Readers Need to Know
In Korea the kimchi refrigerator symbolizes family unity and care, making its use for hiding a corpse all the more disturbing to locals and expats alike [web:24]
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