A woman in her 50s has been arrested for allegedly poisoning her husband with a chemical substance after becoming despondent over the death of their daughter from cancer.
On July 9, the Bundang Police in Gyeonggi Province announced that they had detained the woman, identified as A, on murder charges.
According to police, A is accused of mixing a chemical substance into the food of her husband, B, in a Chinese restaurant located in Seongnam's Bundang District on May 20.
A reportedly arrived at the restaurant, ordered food, and mixed the chemical into the meal before her husband arrived.
After finishing their meal, the couple returned to their lodging, but around 8:40 a.m. the next day, neighbors found A vomiting outside their room and alerted emergency services. A was taken to the hospital for treatment, while B was found dead inside their room.
A suicide note was discovered at the scene, expressing remorse over their deceased daughter and A's despair over her situation.
Years earlier, A had lost her daughter to cancer and had exhibited unstable mental health, often telling B, “Let’s die together,” according to investigations.
Initially, police considered charging A with assisted suicide based on her statement that B had agreed to die together. She was also admitted to a psychiatric hospital.
However, surveillance footage from the restaurant captured A mixing the chemical into the food without B's knowledge, and she later confessed to committing the act without his consent.
The court decided to detain A, citing concerns that she might attempt suicide again and her unstable living situation.
Police stated that they could not disclose specific details about the type of chemical used or the amounts consumed by each individual.
For those struggling with depression or who know someone facing such challenges, suicide prevention counseling is available 24/7 through the hotline 109 or the suicide prevention SNS counseling service 'Madelan.'
* This article has been translated by AI.
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