Father drugged family, drove into sea, escaped alone

A heartless 40-year-old father who drove his car into the sea, killing his wife and two children, told police, "I also took sleeping pills, but I couldn't breathe in the sea water, so I escaped from the car by myself."

An arrest warrant had been requested for Mr. Ji, 49, who was charged with murder and assisted suicide in the deaths of his wife and children. On Wednesday, the Gwangju District Court held a substantive review. Mr. Ji entered the courtroom without responding to reporters who asked if he felt sorry for his family or admitted to the charges.

According to police, Mr. Ji parked his car near a plaza in Mokpo, South Jeolla Province, around 11 p.m. on May 31 and gave his two sons, ages 17 and 19, a fatigue relief drink laced with four sleeping pills. Police said he had prepared the drink the day before at an accommodation in Muan, also in South Jeolla Province, using sleeping pills prescribed to his wife for bipolar disorder.

After his two sons fell asleep from drinking the sedative-laced beverage, Mr. Ji drove 71 kilometers to Jindo Port in Jindo County, South Jeolla Province. He arrived at the port around 12:40 a.m. on June 1, waited about 10 minutes, and then claimed that he and his wife, Ms. Jeong, 49, each took about 10 sleeping pills inside the car. He waited another 10 minutes before driving the vehicle into the sea. At the time, both the driver's and passenger's side windows were open.

Mr. Ji reportedly told police, “I woke up when cold seawater came into the car. I couldn't breathe in the seawater, so I escaped through the window by myself.” He said he did not intentionally escape but acted instinctively because he couldn't breathe.

Police secured CCTV footage showing Mr. Ji swimming about 30 to 40 meters after escaping from the car and climbing onto a road near a public restroom. He hid in the restroom for four hours before heading into the mountains, where he stayed for 20 hours. He did not report his family's rescue to emergency services. Around 2 p.m. on June 2, Mr. Ji borrowed a mobile phone from a shop near Jindo Port and called his friend Kim, 51, before attempting to flee. He was apprehended seven hours later.

Police confirmed that the cause of death was drowning after conducting autopsies on Mr. Ji’s wife and two sons, whose bodies were found in the front and rear seats of the vehicle. The police forensic team is analyzing black box footage from Mr. Ji’s car.

Investigators suspect that Mr. Ji, a day laborer at a construction site, may have committed the crime due to financial difficulties, including 160 million won in debt stemming from unpaid wages, as well as his wife's depression. They are continuing to investigate the exact circumstances.

Considering the possibility that Mr. Ji acted to claim insurance money, police have obtained a search warrant for his financial records and are reviewing related documents. Police booked Mr. Kim without detention for helping Mr. Ji flee.


Hyeong-Ju Lee peneye09@donga.com