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Police investigate death of five family members found in Ulsan apartment

Published: 20 Mar. 2026, 18:27

The entrance to the villa in Ulsan, where a man and his four young children were found dead on March 18 [YONHAP]

The bodies of a man and his four children were found in their home in Ulsan at around 4:48 p.m. Wednesday. According to police, one of the children was reported as unreachable by a teacher after being absent from school for several days. The incident has raised concerns about whether warning signs were missed.

Officers found all five members of the family dead in a bedroom. The front door was locked. The children — three daughters and one son — were all minors. The eldest, born in 2019, had recently entered elementary school, while the others were born in 2021, 2023 and 2025.

The father had been raising the children alone, as his spouse had not lived with the family since late last year due to personal circumstances, police said.

Items believed to have been used in a suicide were found at the scene, along with a one-page note addressed to the spouse.

The note reportedly included messages such as “I’m sorry,” “I love you” and “I’m sorry for making you meet someone like me,” as well as references to the difficulty of raising four children.

The father had worked mostly day labor jobs but had recently been unemployed.

Preliminary findings suggest the deaths were caused by carbon monoxide poisoning, with no signs of forced entry or foul play. The time of death is estimated to be around 9 p.m. on Monday, two days before the bodies were discovered, police said.

The case also revealed prior warning signs.

In January, a teacher reported that the eldest child had missed a school preenrollment session and that the guardian could not be reached. The issue was later resolved after contact was reestablished.

The building of the Ulsan Metropolitan Police Agency [ULSAN METROPOLITAN POLICE AGENCY]

On March 6, another report was filed after the child was absent for several days, and possible neglect was suspected. Police and local officials visited the home and confirmed the children’s safety, finding no signs of abuse.

The father had expressed difficulties raising four children alone and had unpaid health insurance premiums.

The family had been included in a welfare monitoring program since early last year and had received emergency financial aid and food support, including about 8 million won ($5,347) over three months, according to local officials. Additional supplies such as rice and instant noodles were also provided on five occasions.

The household was receiving about 1.4 million won per month in child allowances and parental benefits.

Despite this, the father was reportedly reluctant to apply for additional assistance programs, officials said.

Neighbors stated they were aware the family was struggling financially, but had not noticed anything unusual.

The family had about 170,000 won in unpaid credit at a local convenience store as of March 9, a police official said.

Authorities warned that the tragedy might have gone unnoticed for longer without the school’s report, raising questions about the effectiveness of social safety systems for vulnerable households with young children.

Police are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the deaths, including the family’s living conditions and possible warning signs that may have been missed.

If you or someone you know is feeling emotionally distressed or struggling with thoughts of suicide, LifeLine Korea can be contacted at 1588-9191 or the Crisis Counseling Center at 1577-0199. The Seoul Global Center offers English-language counseling; call 02-2075-4180 (+1) to arrange a session. Other international helplines can be found at www.befrienders.org

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 KIM YOUN-HO [[email protected]]