"She Didn't Come to School": Two Police Reports Filed, But Family Tragedy Could Not Be Prevented

Five Family Members Found Dead in Ulju County, Ulsan
Homeroom Teacher Reported to Police Twice

Amid the discovery of a family of five found dead in an apartment in Ulju-gun, Ulsan, it has been confirmed that warning signs were detected in advance, including two separate police reports filed by the elementary school daughter’s homeroom teacher.

According to Yonhap News on March 19, at around 4:48 p.m. the previous day, a man in his 30s, identified as Mr. A, and his four minor children were found dead in an apartment in Ulju-gun.

Police image. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

Police investigations revealed that three of the deceased children were of preschool age, and the remaining child, referred to as Ms. B, was a first-grade student who had just entered elementary school this year. The cause of death for all was carbon monoxide poisoning. No signs of external injury or abuse were found on the children’s bodies.

It was confirmed that Ms. B’s homeroom teacher reported to authorities, stating, “The child has not come to school for three days.”

The police believe that Mr. A made an extreme decision due to despair over the hardships of raising four children alone and financial difficulties.

Notably, it was found that police had previously received 112 emergency calls related to the family. According to the police, the first report was on January 5, when Ms. B’s homeroom teacher called 112, saying, “The child did not attend the pre-enrollment orientation, and I am unable to reach her guardian.” The police visited the residence at the time but closed the case, determining that there were no signs of abuse.

The lack of contact was later attributed to an error in the school’s contact information records.

The second report was filed on March 6. The homeroom teacher again contacted authorities, stating, “The child has been absent without excuse for four days, and I suspect child neglect.”

At that time, Mr. A reportedly expressed difficulties with child-rearing and financial hardship to the police, who determined that welfare support was needed and referred the matter to the local government.

The police are continuing to investigate the specific circumstances surrounding the deaths.

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