Almost half of murders in 2024 involved family, relatives

A man accused of killing his son with a homemade firearm at an apartment in Songdo, Incheon, is being transferred to prosecutors' custody from Incheon Nonhyeon Police Station, July 30. Yonhap

Nearly half of murders committed in Korea last year targeted family members such as parents, spouses and children, data showed Sunday.

According to the National Police Agency's 2024 crime statistics, 131 of the 276 people apprehended for murder last year, or 47.5 percent, had killed a spouse, parent, child or other relative.

The share hovered around 30 percent between 2020 and 2022, but in 2023, it surged to 55.1 percent, or 160 out of 290 murder suspects. The apparent sharp rise was partly due to a change in methodology that year, when cases involving former spouses or common-law partners began to be counted. The proportion has since remained close to half.

Several recent high-profile murder cases have underscored this trend.

Causes behind family murders range from marital conflict and financial hardship to mental illness, with some cases pointing to a deeply rooted cultural belief that family issues should be handled privately.

In July, a man in his 60s in Songdo, Incheon, was accused of killing his 33-year-old son with a homemade firearm. The attack occurred shortly after the family had celebrated his birthday, and the suspect allegedly tried to harm other relatives as well. He claimed that the killing stemmed from long-standing resentment between him and his son.

In April, a man in his 60s in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, was arrested for killing five family members, including his parents in their 80s, his wife in her 50s and his two daughters, one in her 20s and the other a teenager.

He reportedly drugged his family and strangled them while they were unconscious. The suspect later told police he was overwhelmed by debt and facing legal action after a failed business.

Last month, an unemployed man in his 30s in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province, allegedly killed his parents and older brother. Investigators said he lashed out after becoming enraged at his parents' concerns about his employment situation.