"Mom, Just 20,000 Won..." The Last Words Left by a 20s Jeonse Fraudster

Victim Unable to Pay Water Bill Receives Shutoff Notice
Second Case of Victim Dying After Not Getting Deposit Back

A victim in his 20s who died after failing to recover his jeonse deposit from the so-called 'Construction King' was reportedly suffering from severe financial hardship before his death.

According to the Jeonse Fraud Victims Countermeasure Committee in Michuhol-gu, Incheon, on the 17th, the funeral service for Mr. A (26), who was found dead on the 14th, was held the previous day at a funeral hall in Michuhol-gu, Incheon.

Mr. A was a victim who failed to recover a 90 million won deposit for an officetel from construction contractor Mr. B (61), who is on trial for a jeonse fraud amounting to 12.5 billion won.

A banner urging for relief measures is hung on the window of an apartment in Michuhol-gu, Incheon, where victims of jeonse fraud have reportedly surged.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

A few days before his death, he reportedly called his mother asking her to send him just 20,000 won, indicating he was suffering from extreme financial difficulties. Recently, Mr. A was also unable to pay a water bill of 60,000 won on time and received a notice of water service suspension.

After graduating from high school, Mr. A worked in areas such as Namdong Industrial Complex in Incheon and saved money to purchase an officetel worth 68 million won in 2019. When renewing the contract in August 2021, he increased the jeonse deposit to 90 million won at the landlord's request.

However, at the time of purchase in 2019, a mortgage worth over 180 million won had already been registered on the officetel, and last year it went into a voluntary auction (mortgage execution auction).

Even if a successful bidder appeared, under the Housing Lease Protection Act, the highest priority repayment Mr. A could receive was only 34 million won, meaning the remaining 56 million won would be lost entirely.

Mr. A participated in the countermeasure committee activities until early this year but reportedly stopped attending afterward due to work commitments. Additionally, he was in a situation where he had to repay a jeonse loan when his lease expired this summer.

Mr. A was found dead around 8 p.m. on the 14th in his officetel in Michuhol-gu, Incheon. Items presumed to have been used for an extreme choice were found in the room, but no suicide note was discovered.

This is the second case of a victim dying after failing to recover a deposit from Mr. B. Earlier, on February 28, a victim in his 30s who failed to recover a 70 million won deposit also died in a villa in Michuhol-gu.

Mr. B was arrested and indicted on charges of embezzling 12.5 billion won in jeonse deposits from tenants for 161 apartments and villas in Michuhol-gu between January and July last year, along with real estate agents and others.

National Countermeasure Committee for Jeonse Fraud Victims Formed... Launching Tomorrow in Incheon

On the morning of the 14th, a press conference urging the temporary suspension of auctions for rental scam-affected houses was held in front of the Government Seoul Office, hosted by the Michuhol-gu Rental Scam Damage Countermeasure Committee.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Meanwhile, a nationwide countermeasure committee for victims of jeonse fraud is being formed to urge the government to establish active support measures for victims.

The 'National Countermeasure Committee for Jeonse Fraud and Empty Jeonse Victims' (hereafter the Committee) announced on the 17th that it plans to hold a press conference at the south plaza of Juan Station in Incheon on the 18th to officially begin its activities.

The Committee stated, "The government's measures regarding the jeonse fraud and empty jeonse crisis have not been very helpful to victims, and the criteria for loan support or emergency housing assistance are too strict, making acceptance difficult."

They added, "The comprehensive damage surveys, government policy blind spot corrections, and tailored financial support demanded by victims have not been accepted at all."

The Committee emphasized, "Jeonse fraud and empty jeonse damage are spreading not only in the metropolitan area but also nationwide, including Busan, Gwangju, Daejeon, Pohang, and Jeju, making it urgent for the government and political circles to prepare active support measures."

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