"Burdened by Funeral Costs"... Son Who Disposed Mother's Body in River Receives Suspended Sentence

Gwangju District Court. /Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Na Ye-eun] A man in his 60s who disposed of his mother’s body in a river due to the burden of funeral expenses was sentenced to a suspended prison term.

The Gwangju District Court Criminal Division 9 (Presiding Judge Kim Doo-hee) announced on the 2nd that A (66), who was indicted on charges of corpse abandonment, was sentenced to six months in prison with a two-year suspension.

A was charged with dumping his mother B’s (93) body into a river at Godal Bridge in Godal-myeon, Gokseong-gun, Jeollanam-do, around 7:55 a.m. on July 3.

The crime was uncovered when a caregiver visited A’s home. The caregiver had come to provide breakfast to B but found her deceased in the main room and reported it to A, the fire department, and the police.

However, during this time, A used his motorcycle to dispose of B’s body.

It was revealed that A committed this crime after witnessing B’s death and worrying about the funeral costs.

Police investigations found that A, who suffered from a mental illness, had recently stopped taking his medication altogether.

The court explained the sentencing, stating, "The defendant’s actions violate the universal ideals of a peaceful funeral for the deceased, and the nature of the crime is not light," but also considered "the defendant’s acknowledgment of his wrongdoing and remorse, as well as the influence of an unspecified schizophrenia and other mental illnesses on the crime," in determining the sentence.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.