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Brothers stand trial for allegedly killing mother for 'only' receiving Seocho buildings

Published: 04 Sep. 2025, 16:08

The Seoul Central District Court building in southern Seoul on July 7 [NEWS1]

Two brothers are on trial for allegedly killing their mother after discovering she had gifted more of her fortune to their youngest sibling.

The Seoul Central District Court said Thursday that it held the first hearing Wednesday for a 69-year-old man and his 67-year-old brother, who have been indicted on charges including injury resulting in the death of an ascendant and violating the Welfare of Senior Citizens Act.

The prosecution said the brothers attacked their mother on April 7 after she refused their demand to redistribute property she had already gifted to another child. The two allegedly shoved socks into her mouth and pressed down on her face, leading to her death.

The victim, the wife of an entrepreneur who had amassed assets worth hundreds of billions of won through his business, had given each of her three sons buildings in Seocho District, southern Seoul, valued at around 10 billion won ($7.18 million) after her husband's death.

Despite receiving the property, the elder two brothers allegedly grew resentful after learning that their youngest sibling — who had long been attentive to family affairs — had inherited more assets.

The brothers initially told police that their mother had taken her own life after a quarrel, but investigators found that they had conspired to claim suicide after causing her death.

Prosecutors indicted the brothers for patricide-related charges. Under the Civil Act, heirs who intentionally cause the death of a direct ascendant lose their inheritance rights, meaning that if convicted, the two will not be entitled to any additional property beyond the buildings already gifted to them.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY SHIN HYE-YEON [[email protected]]