Elderly Individuals Sprinkle Salt on 11 Graves Ahead of Holiday... The Reason Revealed

Two in Their 60s Booked Without Detention for Property Damage
Okcheon Police Suspect Possible Ritualistic Motive

Amid the investigation into elderly individuals who sprinkled salt on 11 graves in Okcheon, Chungbuk, and were booked without detention, it has been revealed that they stated, "We did it for the good fortune of our ancestors."

Salt has been sprinkled on a grave located on a hill in Okcheon, Chungbuk. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

On February 2, the Okcheon Police Station announced that it had booked two outsiders, including a man in his 60s identified as A, without detention on charges of property damage for scattering large amounts of salt on graves located on a hill in the region. The suspects are accused of bringing bags of salt to a hill in Okcheon at midday on January 10 and sprinkling salt on 11 graves. The 11 affected graves belong to five different families.

During the police investigation, the suspects reportedly stated that their intention was to bring good fortune to their ancestors. However, it has not been confirmed whether any of the graves actually belong to their ancestors. The specific motive and circumstances behind why they sprinkled salt on others' graves have yet to be clarified.

It has been reported that A and the others sprinkled salt specifically on the upper part of the burial mound, which corresponds to the head of the deceased. Police are considering the possibility that the act was part of a ritualistic practice.

The police plan to formally summon A and the others soon to investigate the facts in detail.