In November 2021, a 46-year-old woman in Incheon, South Korea, who was in an extramarital affair with a police sergeant, decided to end the relationship. After she expressed her wish to break up, the officer threatened her with severe consequences involving her son, workplace, and reputation. The woman was found dead by suicide the next day. The officer was charged with instigating suicide but acquitted of that charge due to insufficient evidence, receiving a suspended sentence for threats instead. He was dismissed from the police force.
Country: South Korea
State/Province: None
City/Region: Incheon
Incident Type: Suicide
Relationship Status: Extramarital relationship
Relationship Duration:
Incident Date: Nov. 2, 2021
Relationship Origins:
Relationship Stages:
Contributing Factors:
Red Flags:
Motives:
Relationship Outcomes:
How the relationship or connection began.
Important relationship phases recorded for this case.
Reported red flags or early concern points.
Contributing factors and possible motives from the available sources.
2021-11-02
Recorded relationship or case outcome.
English labels are shown first. Original-language titles are preserved for source verification.
사건의뢰 · Original language: English
Police officer threatens ex-lover leading to her suicide
Infidelity
The case involves an extramarital affair where the male police officer threatened the female partner after she sought to end the relationship. The threats targeted her son, workplace, and reputation, creating psychological pressure that preceded her suicide. The legal outcome recognized the threats but did not establish direct causation for the suicide, resulting in a suspended sentence and dismissal of the officer.
The police officer was charged with instigating suicide but acquitted due to insufficient evidence of direct causation. He was convicted of threats and received a suspended sentence. The officer was dismissed from the police force. The investigation highlighted the difficulty in legally proving instigation of suicide despite clear psychological pressure.
Uncertainty existed regarding whether the threats directly caused the victim's suicide, leading to acquittal on the instigating suicide charge. The extent of the officer's actual influence was disputed.
The woman, involved in an extramarital affair with a police sergeant, decided to end the relationship. The officer responded with a three-hour phone call threatening her son with criminal prosecution, her workplace with tax investigation, and her reputation. The woman, fearing for her son, committed suicide the next day. Legal proceedings charged the officer with instigating suicide but acquitted him on that count, convicting him only for threats. He was dismissed from the police force.
High risk due to psychological threats and coercive behavior by a person in authority, leading to fatal self-harm.
Psychological threats by a partner, especially one in authority, can have fatal consequences even if legal proof of causation is difficult. Suspended sentences for such threats may not reflect the severity of emotional harm. Early recognition of coercive control and threats in extramarital relationships is critical.
The victim's expressed desire to end the affair and the suspect's prolonged threatening phone call were key early signals.
The three-hour threatening phone call detailing specific threats to the victim's son, workplace, and reputation helped connect the case.
Phone call recordings and prosecution evidence of threats were the strongest evidence; however, direct proof linking threats to suicide was insufficient.
Not reported.
No follow-up reports were available beyond the initial trial and sentencing details.
Whether the threats directly caused the victim's suicide remains legally unresolved.