Woman in her 50s reported missing in Gongju found dead in car of man in his 60s she had reported for stalking

[Financial News] A woman in her 50s who had been reported missing in Gongju, South Chungcheong Province, was found dead in the car of a man in his 60s who had stalked her. It was confirmed that she had reported the man to police twice this year on suspicion of stalking.
On the 17th, KBS and the Hankyoreh reported that a woman in her 50s, identified as A, was found dead in the passenger seat of a car parked beside a national highway in Asan, South Chungcheong Province, at around 4:40 a.m. on the 13th. A man in his 60s, identified as B, was slumped in the driver’s seat after ingesting poison.
Police arrested B, believing that he had killed A and then ingested poison. B was taken to hospital and was reported to be in critical condition.
Earlier, A’s younger sibling reported her missing to the Gongju Police Station in South Chungcheong Province at around 7:40 p.m. on the 12th, saying, “I can’t get in touch with my older sister, who left home around 12:20 p.m.” Police issued an urgent alert for B’s car and found it while on patrol early the following day.
Police believe the two had been in an on-again, off-again relationship for about two years. It was confirmed that A had reported B to police twice this year alone.
In January, police received a stalking report saying, “My ex-boyfriend is following me,” but judged that the risk was not high and closed the case at the scene.
In June, police were dispatched after hearing a man and a woman arguing during a call to report an incident. After checking the scene, officers determined that there had been intimate partner violence between the two and opened a case. However, after A said she did not want the man punished or safety measures taken, police decided not to refer the case to prosecutors.
Police say they took no separate measures at the time of either report because the victim did not want the man punished. However, since they ultimately failed to prevent the tragedy, questions are being raised about whether the police risk assessment and follow-up actions at the time were appropriate.
Police plan to ask the National Forensic Service to conduct an autopsy on A and question people around the two about their relationship and the circumstances of the incident. They also plan to determine the precise motive for the crime once B recovers.


[email protected] Seong Min-seo Reporter