Body of Missing Woman Found in Freezer at Paju Cafe; Suspect Arrested

by JEONG SE HEE Posted : September 8, 2026, 07:12Updated : September 8, 2026, 07:12

A body of a woman in her 60s was discovered in a freezer at a large cafe in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, prompting a police investigation. Authorities have arrested a man in his 30s, the cafe owner, as a suspect and are currently questioning him while he remains in custody.


According to Yonhap News on September 7, a missing person report for the woman, identified as A, was filed around midnight on September 4 in Seoul.


Police tracked A's cellphone location and found her body in the cafe's freezer in Munseong-eup, Paju, at approximately 2 p.m. on the same day.


Authorities identified the cafe owner, a man named B, as a suspect after he was apprehended in Yeongdeungpo, Seoul, around the same time A's body was discovered.


Following this, police applied for an arrest warrant for B on charges of murder, which was granted by the Uijeongbu District Court's Goyang branch on September 6.


Reports indicate that A and B were strangers prior to their meeting at the cafe on September 3.


A was reportedly meeting B to discuss the buying and selling of gift certificates, a practice known as 'gift certificate laundering.' Police are investigating claims that B lured A into the freezer, stating that the gift certificates were stored there.


A's body was found frozen, suggesting it had been left in the freezer for a significant period.


Authorities plan to conduct an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death and the circumstances surrounding the incident, including whether B killed A in the freezer or confined her there while she was still alive.


Meanwhile, the cafe has gained popularity, attracting many customers from outside Paju, and B had instructed employees not to come to work and closed the cafe since September 3.





* This article has been translated by AI.