Suspect in double murder rang his friend in S Korea before allegedly killing his family

The suspect, a 42-year-old surnamed Kim, strapped to a hospital gurney yelling as he’s wheeled from the ambulance in January. Screengrab via Apple Daily video.
The suspect, a 42-year-old surnamed Kim, strapped to a hospital gurney yelling as he’s wheeled from the ambulance in January. Screengrab via Apple Daily video.

More details have emerged in the case of a South Korean man alleged to have killed his wife and child at the Hong Kong Ritz Carlton on Sunday.

According to Apple Daily, the suspect, surnamed Kim and aged 42, is the chief executive of a company in South Korea, which operates the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory.

The outlet reported that before the incident, Kim rang a friend in South Korea to say his business was doing badly and that the family had to die.

The SCMP reported that the phone call from the suspect to his friend was made at about 7am on Sunday, after which the friend rang police in South Korea, who then contacted the country’s consulate general in Hong Kong.

The family — who had arrived in the city on Jan. 6 and spent one day in Macau — were traced to the Ritz Carlton, a five-star hotel located on the top floors of  the International Commerce Centre, where they had been staying since Wednesday.

At about 8:30am, someone from the hotel’s staff knocked on the door of their 109th-floor suite and called police after hearing fighting inside the room, Apple Daily reported.

When police arrived later, Kim opened the door and then immediately closed it.

After using a spare key to enter the room, officers found Kim wearing nothing but his underpants and found his 42-year-old wife, surnamed Song, and 6-year-old son dead on the bed.

The wife had knife wounds to her neck and son had a knife wound on his throat, while a five-inch knife was taken from the scene, it was reported.

“Initial investigations revealed that the deceased were attacked by the 42-year-old foreign man with a knife,” according to a statement by police posted online.

“Police later arrested the man at scene for murder. He is being detained for further enquiries. A knife in suspected connection with the case was seized at scene.”

According to the SCMP, the knife was not from the hotel. The newspaper reported that the husband was found in a confused state and could not answer questions coherently.

He also had sustained injuries to his hand and face and was taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. The injuries have thus far not been specified.

A police officer told the newspaper that the man may have consumed alcohol.

A video on the Apple Daily website shows a clip of Kim strapped to a hospital gurney yelling as he’s wheeled from the ambulance.

Local media have been trawling through the suspect’s Facebook and Instagram accounts which have photos of him enjoying life with his family, birthdays, holidays etc.

According to his Facebook profile, Kim says he has been married to his wife for 17 years.

On.cc also posted that one of his posts on his Facebook account, said: “The only answer I recharge the powerful energy everyday… Family!!”

The case is being investigated by the District Crime Squad of Yau Tsim District.



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