1 Dies, 3 Fall Sick After Drinking Makgeolli
By Kim Rahn
Staff Reporter
An elderly woman died after drinking ``makgeolli,'' a traditional rice wine, that was suspected of being poisoned. Three others are receiving medical treatment.
The four people in their 50s and 70s broke down vomiting after having the wine together at a riverside in Suncheon, South Jeolla Province, around 9:10 a.m. Monday. They were taking a break during a clean-up operation led by the local ward office.
Among them, a 56-year-old, identified as Choi, died while being transferred to the hospital. Two others are unconscious, while another woman, who spat out the liquor because of the bad smell, is suffering from a stomachache and receiving treatment.
The victims had been participating in the clean-up work since 8 a.m. Choi brought two bottles of makgeolli from her home and bought three more bottles to share with her colleagues. They drank the wine brought from her home first. The wine in question had a strong odor and blue color, according to police.
``Choi's husband said that he found the wine in his courtyard and put it in a room, and then the wife took it with her to work. He said that his neighbors often bring makgeolli to him, as he helps them in farming. We suspect somebody put a toxic chemical in the wine and are investigating who brought it,'' a police official said.
Police asked the National Institute of Scientific Investigation to examine the liquor. They are also examining fingerprints on the bottle.