A South Korean man was charged on Monday night with the murders of his wife and 6-year-old son, who were found on Sunday with their throats cut in a luxury suite of the five-star Ritz Carlton hotel, according to police.
The 42-year-old, Kim Min-ho, was arrested at the scene, where officers said he was found in a confused state.
In a statement on Monday night, police said the foreign national had been charged with two counts of murder.
According to a report in the SCMP, the suspect, the boss of a chocolate factory in South Korea, told officers he was too drunk to recall what had happened.
The case is due for a mention hearing today in Kowloon City Magistrates’ Court, Ming Pao reported.
Police are investigating whether Kim’s actions were prompted by the failure of his Seoul-based business the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, a franchise of the US-based confectionary producer and retailer of the same name.
According to earlier reports, on the morning of the murders, the suspect called his friend in South Korea and said his business was failing and he and his family were about to commit suicide.
His friend notified South Korean authorities, who contacted the country’s consulate in Hong Kong.
When police arrived at the family’s suite on the 109th floor of the Ritz Carlton, located on the top levels of Hong Kong’s tallest building, the ICC, they found the bodies of 42-year-old Song Wha-jeong and their son, Kim Tae-yun.
The family had arrived in Hong Kong on Jan. 6 for a vacation and spent one day in Macau.
Metro Daily reported that pictures from the couple’s cell phones showed them enjoying local attractions including Disneyland Hong Kong and Ocean Park during their time in the city.
Hong Kong police are cooperating with South Korean authorities in investigating the case.
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