On the 28th, SBS’s ‘I Want to Know That’ will trace a shocking incident in which a woman in her 30s died after being tortured with charcoal and suffering severe burns.
An unfortunate accident at a meat restaurant
A well-known meat restaurant in Incheon that was always bustling with customers. The store, which never closed even during holidays, suddenly went on hiatus last January, and the couple who ran the store left, replaced by an unfamiliar woman in her 70s. The 35-year-old daughter, Lee Soo-yeon (pseudonym), known for her kind nature and filial piety, stayed at the store with her brother to take care of the business.
On September 18, the last day of the Chuseok holiday last year, Soo-yeon reportedly collapsed onto the charcoal grill while working at the restaurant. While working without taking care of herself, she fell onto the charcoal in the brazier and suffered burns, ultimately leading to her death. This tragic news was conveyed to the neighboring residents by Soo-yeon’s parents. Until that point, Soo-yeon’s unfortunate death was considered an unfortunate accident.
Shocking torture captured on CCTV
A twist occurred when the police investigating the death secured CCTV footage from the restaurant's second floor. Present at the scene were the new owner, a woman in her 70s named Kim, her three children, and another man. That afternoon, a metal structure was installed on the second floor of the restaurant, and Soo-yeon was seen climbing onto the metal structure.
As Soo-yeon lay face down on the metal structure, Kim's son placed a basin underneath and filled it with charcoal. Soo-yeon did not fall onto the charcoal; she was tortured with it. Surrounded by extreme heat as more charcoal was added, Soo-yeon’s wrists and ankles were bound, and she had a gag in her mouth. Ultimately, she died from multiple organ failure due to the burns.
Was it an exorcism ritual to expel evil spirits?
Surprisingly, the 70-year-old woman Kim, who led the incident, was a shaman and Soo-yeon’s aunt. The other perpetrators, who were also charged with murder, were cousins of Soo-yeon, and they claimed that it was merely a ritual to expel the evil spirit that possessed Soo-yeon, not torture or intentional wrongdoing. They stated they never expected Soo-yeon would die.
Soo-yeon’s family also claims it was a tragic accident rather than murder, and they are requesting leniency for the perpetrators. They assert that an evil spirit possessed Soo-yeon and that they did not expect her to die at the end of the exorcism ritual. Is their claim true? What really happened on that day on the second floor of the meat restaurant, and how much pain did Soo-yeon endure during the horrific charcoal torture?
This week, SBS’s ‘I Want to Know That’ will air on Saturday, the 28th, at 11:10 PM.
[Geum Bit-na, MK Sports Reporter]
