"For Her Daughter's Livelihood"... Suspicious Insurance Premiums of Lee Eun-hae in the 'Valley Murder' Case

Suspect Lee Eun-hae in the 'Valley Murder' case is entering the Incheon District Court in Michuhol-gu, Incheon City on the afternoon of April 19 to undergo a pre-arrest suspect interrogation (warrant review). [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] Testimony has emerged that Lee Eunhae, the suspect in the 'valley murder' case, said she paid tens of thousands of won monthly in insurance premiums for her daughter's livelihood.

According to the legal community on the 13th, the 15th Criminal Division of the Incheon District Court (Chief Judge Lee Gyuhun) held the 7th trial for Lee and her accomplice Cho Hyunsoo the day before. They are currently detained and indicted on charges including murder, attempted murder, and attempted violation of the Special Act on the Prevention of Insurance Fraud.

At the trial, Lee's acquaintance A appeared as a witness. A is known to have gone on a trip to a fishing spot in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, with them in March 2019. This fishing spot was where Lee and Cho attempted to drown and kill Yoon in May of the same year but failed.

On the 12th, A testified about the situation when they visited the fishing spot. A said, "That day, I suddenly received a call from Eunhae unnie to come visit, so I went to the fishing spot late at night," adding, "Since I was working as an insurance planner at the time, naturally, we started talking about insurance."

A testified that she was surprised to hear that Lee paid 700,000 won monthly in insurance premiums. According to A, a healthy person in their 30s like Lee usually pays about 100,000 won monthly in insurance premiums.

When A asked, "Why do you pay so much in insurance premiums?" Lee reportedly replied, "Since I am a mother and don't know what might happen, I set a high death benefit for my daughter's livelihood."

In response, the defense attorney asked A, "Did Lee ever say that she took out insurance with Yoon as the insured?" A testified, "Lee said that both she and Yoon had high death benefits and each paid 700,000 won monthly in premiums, but she did not go into detail." A also said she was completely unaware that Lee and Yoon were legally married.

Meanwhile, Lee and her lover Cho were detained and indicted on charges of murdering Yoon at Yongsogye Valley in Gapyeong County, Gyeonggi Province, on June 30, 2019.

The defendants are also accused of attempting to kill Yoon by feeding her food mixed with poison from a pufferfish's internal organs and blood at a pension in Yangyang County, Gangwon Province, in February 2019. Additionally, three months later, in May of the same year, they attempted to kill Yoon by drowning her at a fishing spot in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, but failed.

The prosecution believes that Lee and Cho committed this premeditated crime aiming for the 800 million won life insurance money taken out in Yoon's name. Their next trial is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. on the 18th in the same courtroom.