Police Seek Arrest Warrant for Mother Attempting Suicide with Children Due to Debt

On February 18, 2025, the police in Boeun, North Chungcheong Province, announced that they have applied for an arrest warrant for a woman, referred to as A, on charges of attempted murder through child abuse. A is accused of attempting suicide with her two elementary school-aged children and a friend, identified as B, in a vacant lot in Seongam-ri, Naebuk-myeon, at around 5:15 PM on February 16. The three were found unconscious and were transported to a hospital, where they received treatment and are reported to be out of danger. A was discharged from the hospital on February 17 and was subsequently arrested by the police. Investigations revealed that A and B, who were close friends, had accumulated a debt of 2 billion KRW (approximately $1.5 million) together, leading them to despair and attempt this tragic act. A had lent a significant amount of money to B over several years, who promised high interest rates, but B's financial situation deteriorated, making it impossible to repay the principal. A drove from Cheongju to Boeun with B and her children, administering three sleeping pills to each child before the incident. The police have charged A with attempted murder through child abuse rather than attempted murder, marking the first application of this charge in North Chungcheong Province since the introduction of the Special Act on the Punishment of Child Abuse Crimes in November of the previous year. The new charge carries harsher penalties, including the possibility of the death penalty or life imprisonment, or a minimum of seven years in prison. The police plan to arrest B as an accomplice once he is discharged from the hospital.