"‘I’m a Former Gangster, Follow My Orders’ 40s Suspect Who Drove Basic Livelihood Recipient to Death Sent to Prosecution in Custody"

Unable to Resist Years of Assault, Extortion, and Oppression, Subjected to Psychological Control

An incident reminiscent of the so-called ‘Gapyeong Valley Murder Case’ also occurred in Geoje, Gyeongnam Province.

According to the Changwon Maritime Police Station in Gyeongnam on the 17th, on October 11, 2023, a man in his 50s was found dead after drowning in the sea in front of the waterfront park at Okpo Port, Geoje City.

The Changwon Maritime Police suspect that the man, identified as Mr. A, entered the sea while intoxicated and met with an accident. During the investigation, they found suspicious behavior from two men who were with him at the time: a man in his 40s, Mr. B, and a man in his 50s, Mr. C.

After extensive inquiries, the Changwon Maritime Police received a tip that Mr. B was involved in the incident and reinforced the investigation team to form a dedicated task force.

The victim is kneeling next to the suspect in the restaurant.
[Photo by Changwon Maritime Police Station, video capture provided]

As a result of the investigation, it was found that the deceased Mr. A and Mr. C had been under psychological control, commonly referred to as ‘gaslighting,’ by Mr. B for a long time.

Mr. B deceived the two, whom he met in a boarding house in 2018, by claiming he had been involved in organized crime in the past and threatened to retaliate using gangsters if they disobeyed his orders, even resorting to violence.

Mr. A and Mr. C were basic livelihood security recipients, receiving monthly living expenses from the government.

Starting in 2021, Mr. B, citing financial difficulties, began receiving cash from Mr. C and, around April 2023, confiscated the cards used for their government benefits, withdrawing approximately 13 million KRW in cash for his entertainment expenses.

Because the two were unable to work due to health reasons, Mr. B forced them to do daily labor and instructed them to transfer their earnings to his mother’s bank account, embezzling about 2.3 million KRW.

The victim, who lost consciousness after fighting each other under the suspect's instructions, is being transported by the 119 emergency medical team.
[Photo by Changwon Maritime Police Station]

To conceal his crimes, Mr. B frequently checked Mr. A and Mr. C’s mobile phones and monitored their daily activities.

In June 2023, he forced them to walk about 17 km, a five-hour journey on foot, and ordered them to photograph road name signs and send the pictures to him.

He continuously took them to motels, exerted power to prevent them from leaving, and forced them to drink alcohol while restricting their physical freedom.

He regularly threatened and assaulted them, making them fight each other until one fainted, saying, “Determine the hierarchy.”

Having been frequently beaten and unable to refuse Mr. B’s orders, which included threats like “If you don’t do it, you’ll die,” the two fought each other. During this, Mr. C fainted twice in 2022 and 2023 and was transported by 119 emergency services.

The victim, following the suspect's instructions, is climbing over the railing at Okpo Waterfront Park in Geoje-si, Gyeongnam.
[Photo by Changwon Maritime Police Station]

Mr. B’s crimes continued even the day before Mr. A’s death.

On October 10, 2023, he forcibly made the two drink alcohol at a restaurant and a nearby motel in Okpo-dong, Geoje City, and prevented them from sleeping.

By 2 p.m. on the day of the incident, the 11th, the two had shared about 22 bottles of soju without rest with Mr. B.

Mr. B, sitting on the stairs of Okpo Waterfront Park, looking at the sea, ordered them to “swim.”

Terrified by years of Mr. B’s violence and threats and in a state of physical and mental helplessness, the two obeyed.

Mr. A immediately took off his clothes and climbed over the railing, and Mr. C, hesitating with thoughts of possible death, also jumped into the sea after Mr. B urged, “What are you waiting for if you’re not going in?”

Mr. A, who entered the sea first, ultimately lost his life underwater.

In the police investigation, Mr. C stated, “I didn’t know when I would be hit, so I had no choice but to obey because if I didn’t, I would be beaten.”

The suspect is withdrawing cash using the card stolen from the victim.
[Photo by Changwon Maritime Police Station]

The Changwon Maritime Police arrested Mr. B on December 26, 2023, on charges including negligent homicide, aggravated confinement resulting in death, coercion, and fraud.

The prosecution handling the case also indicted Mr. B on the 16th on charges including negligent homicide, concluding that he formed a psychological dominance and oppressive relationship that led to the victim’s death.

CCTV footage obtained by the maritime police from the motel, restaurant, and waterfront park showed Mr. B kneeling at the restaurant, the moment Mr. C was transported to the hospital by 119 emergency services, and Mr. A’s final moments climbing over the waterfront park railing.

The maritime police analyzed that due to Mr. B’s continuous violence and harsh treatment, the victims became physically and mentally devastated, losing their sense of reality and judgment, and were unable to resist abnormal orders.

The surviving Mr. C explained that he endured all four seasons with only one set of clothes and worried about meals every day.

It was also reported that the deceased Mr. A, lacking transportation money and unable to eat properly, lost about 18 kg in weight and was forced to do manual labor despite his poor health, stripped of even the minimum human rights.

A Changwon Maritime Police official said, “This is a serious human rights violation crime that pushed socially vulnerable people with no one to rely on to the edge.” He added, “We have provided living expenses and medical costs to break the cycle of retaliatory crimes that could occur against the victims and to help them recover their daily lives quickly.”

He continued, “We will strengthen investigative activities to protect socially vulnerable groups and respond more strongly to crimes that infringe on public livelihood, including violent crimes at sea.”