Local Resident "Grandfather Was an Educator and Landowner"
However, Did Not Inherit Wealth and Faces Financial Hardship
Lee Gi-young (31), who was arrested on charges of murdering his cohabiting woman and a taxi driver and disposing of their bodies, is known to have not been lying when he claimed to be the "grandson of a building owner" to flaunt his wealth to those around him.
Lee Gi-young's grandfather was an educator who nurtured students and was known as a landowner in the Paju area, having suddenly amassed wealth through urban development.
Lee Ki-young, who was arrested on charges of murdering a taxi driver and his cohabiting partner, is explaining the scene to prosecution officials on the afternoon of the 6th at Gongneung Stream in Paju, Gyeonggi Province. [Photo by Yonhap News]
On the 13th, News1 reported that Lee Gi-young's grandfather was an educator and a building owner and landowner who accumulated wealth through real estate investments in the Paju area. However, it was understood that Lee Gi-young did not inherit significant assets from his wealthy grandfather or father and suffered from financial difficulties.
Previously, Lee Gi-young was said to have told those around him, "I am the grandson of a building owner. My grandfather has a lot of money. I am expected to inherit it. My father runs a business." However, as it became known that he had received the minimum legal sentence due to "financial hardship," there were speculations that his claims were false.
While serving as a professional non-commissioned officer, Lee Gi-young was dishonorably discharged after serving a prison sentence for incidents including drunk driving, hit-and-run, and obstruction of official duties. Afterwards, he lived without a proper job. He also worked as a substitute driver but lost his job after being caught driving under the influence during that period.
On November 20, 2019, while on probation, Lee Gi-young was sentenced to one year in prison by the Uijeongbu District Court Goyang Branch for drunk driving in Jangseong, Jeollanam-do, in the early morning. At that time, the court stated as the reason for sentencing, "Considering that prolonged detention of the defendant could make it difficult for his family to make a living, the sentence was set at the statutory minimum after mitigation."
Since then, Lee Gi-young earned living expenses by working as a substitute driver without a proper job, but it is known that he stopped even this after being caught for drunk driving enforcement. His ex-wife, whom he married in 2018 and later divorced, testified during police investigation that she "suffered financial hardship while living with Lee Gi-young."
Meanwhile, Lee Gi-young was arrested last month on charges of murdering his cohabiting woman in her 50s, who was also the homeowner, in August last year and disposing of her body, and on charges of luring a taxi driver to his home on the 20th of last month, murdering him, and disposing of his body.
Based on Lee Gi-young's statements, the police have been searching the area around Gongneungcheon in Paju, where the cohabiting woman's body is presumed to have been disposed of, for 18 days, but no significant results have been reported.
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