By Kim Rahn
Staff Reporter

A man under financial duress killed himself after using all of his wealth to purchase hundreds of lottery tickets that failed to hit the jackpot, police said.

The 26-year-old man, Kim, was found hanging from a window frame at a motel in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, earlier this week. The motel owner found the body and reported it to police.

Kim checked into the hotel Thursday, paying for three nights. Afterward, he withdrew 3 million won from his bank account, which was presumably his whole fortune. He then purchased hundreds of 5,000-won Lotto tickets, one of the most popular lotteries in Korea.

Eighty-four tickets for fifth prize (5,000 won apiece) were found in his bag. He left a suicide note stating he wanted to donate the prize money to charity centers.

Bereaved family members said that Kim had caused a traffic accident a few months ago and had to pay compensation, which worsened his financial hardship. Police suspect he bought lotto tickets to leave his financial difficulty to luck and killed himself after failing to win the first prize.

rahnita@koreatimes.co.kr