The Mystery of the 'Saengsubyeong Incident'... Circumstances and Motive Still Unclear

Police Keep All Possibilities Open in Investigation

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jung-yoon] A company in Seocho-gu, Seoul, is under investigation after two employees lost consciousness after drinking water from bottled water. An employee working at the same company has been booked by the police. The same type of poison found at the suspect’s residence was also detected in the victims’ blood. However, the details of the crime’s circumstances and motive remain unclear, and the investigation is ongoing.

According to the police on the 24th, on the afternoon of the 18th, two male and female employees collapsed after drinking water from bottled water placed on a desk at an office of a company in Yangjae-dong, Seocho-gu. They were transported to a hospital, where the female employee regained consciousness. However, the male employee died in the intensive care unit the previous afternoon, and the police plan to determine the exact cause of death through an autopsy. Toxic substances had previously been detected in the male employee’s blood.

The National Forensic Service issued a preliminary report on the 22nd confirming that poison was detected in the blood of one of the victims. This poison was identified as the same type found at the residence of employee A, who has been named as a suspect in the case.

No poison was found in the bottled water collected at the scene, but there is a possibility that the bottled water was not the water the victims drank, or that the victims collapsed after drinking a beverage other than water. The police report was filed seven hours after the incident, and it is known that the scene was not properly preserved.

On the 10th, another employee at the company collapsed after drinking a beverage. This employee had been a roommate with A for one year at a company-provided residence. Analysis of the beverage container revealed poison, and a container with the same substance was secured at A’s home.

The police have named A as a suspect and booked him on charges of special injury. A was found dead at his home on the 19th, the day after the incident, and it is presumed he died from drug poisoning. The police suspect that both incidents were committed by A.

Additionally, the police have obtained testimony from a colleague that employee A may have been dissatisfied after learning about a possible transfer to a provincial post, and they are verifying the facts.

However, the police stated that they cannot confirm the motive based on a few testimonies and are keeping all possibilities open while conducting a multifaceted investigation. They also indicated that if additional information about the type of poison used and the motive is confirmed, the charges against A may be changed.