Ended in Five Minutes at Gwangju District Court... Decision Expected Late at Night
Drove into the Sea After Giving Sleeping Pills... Also Charged with Assisting Suicide
A man in his 40s who caused the deaths of his wife and two sons due to financial difficulties underwent a pre-arrest suspect interrogation (warrant hearing) on June 4.
Ji Mo (49), who was arrested on charges of killing his wife and two sons due to financial difficulties, is attending a pre-arrest warrant hearing at Gwangju District Court on the morning of the 4th. Photo by Yonhap News
Ji Mo (49), who was urgently arrested by police on charges of murder and assisting suicide, appeared at Gwangju District Court that morning. When boarding a transport vehicle from the holding cell at Gwangju Bukbu Police Station, Ji remained silent in response to reporters' questions such as "Do you admit to the charges?" and "Aren't you sorry for your children?"
Upon arriving at court, Ji covered his face with a hat, mask, and coat hood, and continued to remain silent. The warrant hearing began at around 11 a.m. and ended in less than five minutes. A decision on whether to detain him is expected to be made later in the day.
Ji is suspected of driving a car carrying his family into the sea at Jindo Port, Imhoe-myeon, Jindo County, South Jeolla Province, at around 1:12 a.m. on June 1. The incident resulted in the deaths of his wife and two high school-aged sons. Ji escaped from the vehicle immediately after the incident, swam ashore, spent the night in a nearby wooded hill, and on June 2 called his brother from a public phone to request rescue.
A coworker at a construction site, who was contacted by Ji's brother, picked Ji up by car. Ji was arrested by police on a street near Yangdong Market in Seo District, Gwangju, about 44 hours after committing the crime.
Ji Mo (49), who is accused of driving a passenger car into the sea and killing his wife and two sons, is boarding a transport vehicle on the 4th to attend the pre-arrest suspect interrogation (warrant hearing) held at Gwangju District Court. Photo by Yonhap News
Police have charged Ji not only with murder but also with assisting suicide. During questioning, Ji reportedly stated that he could not handle debts of about 160 million won and had faced financial hardship while caring for his wife, who suffered from bipolar disorder.
Police believe Ji gave sleeping pills to his family before driving the car into the sea, and confirmed that the sleeping pills were prescribed in his wife's name. Unlike the other family members, there are indications that his wife attempted an extreme act, so police are continuing their investigation by analyzing the car's black box and conducting forensic examinations of mobile phones.
The police have requested autopsies of the three family members' bodies from the National Forensic Service, and are also considering legal action against the coworker for assisting Ji's escape (aiding a criminal).
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