Prosecutors accuse Lee and Cho of direct murder

Lee Eun-hae, who allegedly murdered her husband to collect 800 million won in life insurance, and her accomplice Cho Hyun-soo, were sent to trial. The prosecution concluded that Lee committed a crime by gaslighting her husband and applied a charge of direct murder.

The second detective division of the Incheon District Prosecutors’ Office apprehended Lee and Cho on Wednesday and charged them with murder, attempted murder, and attempted violation of the special law on prohibition of insurance fraud, in two years and 10 months since the day of the criminal offense.

Lee and Cho was accused of killing Lee’s husband Yoon at Yongso Valley in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province on June 30, 2019. Concluding that Lee and Cho killed Yoon by forcing Yoon, who could not swim, to dive into the valley from a 4-meter high cliff for the purpose of collecting Yoon’s life insurance premium of 800 million won, the prosecution accused Lee and Cho of direct murder instead of murder by omission, that is, failing to discharge one’s duty to save. The couple allegedly attempted murder of Yoon by feeding him food mixed with swellfish blood and drowning him in February and May 2019, respectively.

The prosecution determined that Yoon was psychologically controlled by Lee and therefore could not refuse to jump into deep waters. The indictment indicates that Yoon was “gaslighted.” Since 2011, when Lee and Yoon started dating, Lee strictly controlled Yoon’s daily lives, forbade Yoon from refusing her demands, and financially exploited him to the point that Yoon suffered extreme deprivation. Even after Lee registered marriage with Yoon in March 2017, Lee was confirmed to have dated and even lived with other men.

Lee and Cho allegedly planned to continue their flight until the prosecutor in charge is assigned to other posts and drafted a press conference statement criticizing the prosecution. Prosecutors filed a suit for confirmation of nullification of adoption of Lee’s daughter, who had been adopted by Yoon.


ksb@donga.com