Ritz-Carlton murder suspect tells Hong Kong police he was too drunk to recall what happened
A South Korean man arrested over the murders of his wife and six-year-old son at a five-star Hong Kong hotel told police he was too drunk to recall what had happened, the Post has learned.
Police were also investigating if a failed business in Seoul had led to the actions of Kim Min-ho, 42, CEO of Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory in South Korea.
On Monday, Kim was being held for questioning at Tsim Sha Tsui police station and had not been charged.
The arrest was made after his wife, Song Wha-jeong, 42, and son, Kim Tae-yun, were found dead in bed in a luxury suite at The Ritz-Carlton hotel in the city’s tallest building – the International Commerce Centre – in Kowloon West on Sunday morning.
Man arrested over murder of wife and son at Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong
“Initial examination showed multiple cut wounds were found on the neck of the woman and a cut wound was found on the throat of the boy,” Superintendent Chan Tsz-leung of Yau Tsim district said.
He said an autopsy would be carried out to ascertain the cause and time of the deaths.
As there were no signs of a struggle in the hotel room, Chan said police would also look into whether the pair had been drugged before they died.
Chief Inspector Frances Lee King-hei said police would continue to investigate the case with help from South Korean authorities and the country’s consulate in Hong Kong.
“Police will investigate the case in all directions, including the motive, as well as other details,” she said.
The South Korean consulate on Monday told the Post it had been well informed of the incident from an early stage.
“The consulate is closely cooperating with Hong Kong police to investigate this incident, while providing necessary assistance to the family of the victims,” it said.
It said it would be directing further questions about what happened to the force, citing the investigation under way.
The case came to light at about 7am on Sunday, after Kim called a friend in South Korea claiming he had failed in business and that he and his family were about to commit suicide. His friend alerted South Korean police, who notified the consulate in Hong Kong.
Police rushed to the hotel at about 8.30am on Sunday after receiving a report from hotel staff.
Song and her son were found unconscious in bed and certified dead by paramedics, according to police. Officers found a 13cm ceramic knife at the scene.
Kim, suffering minor cut wounds to his hands and face, was found sitting in the living room of the suite, dressed in his underpants and unconscious.
The Ritz-Carlton hotel in the International Commerce Centre, West Kowloon. Photo: David Wong
Initial investigation indicated Kim had consumed alcohol but it was unclear whether he had taken any drugs, police said.
Chan said the man was arrested for murdering his wife and son.
The suspect was treated for minor injuries at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, where he was held in a custodial ward.
A police source said the South Korean family arrived in Hong Kong for a sightseeing trip on January 6 and visited Macau before returning and checking into the hotel on Wednesday.
The Ritz-Carlton hotel occupies the top floors of the 490 metre-high ICC building, overlooking Victoria Harbour. It has 312 guest rooms.
Kim’s company, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, is a franchise of the US-based confectionery manufacturer and retailer of the same name. It has more than 375 stores in the US, Canada, the Philippines and South Korea.
홍콩 사우스차이나모닝포스트(SCMP)는 한국인 김모씨(42)가 자신의 부인 송모씨(42)와 아들(6)과 함께 숙박한 최고급 호텔 럭셔리 룸에서 가족들을 살해했다고 보도했다. 김씨 가족은 리츠칼튼 호텔 스위트룸에 묵었는데 이 호텔은 홍콩의 최고층 빌딩인 118층짜리 국제상업센터(ICC)의 가장 높은 15개 층에 자리 잡고 있는 하룻밤 숙박료가 최저 3천300∼2만6천 홍콩달러(약 45만∼353만원)인 최고급 호텔이다.
14일 오전 7시에 김씨는 한국에 있는 친구에게 전화를 걸어 가족과 함께 자살하겠다고 알렸다. 전화를 받은 한국에 있는 친구는 급히 경찰에 알렸고, 경찰은 다시 주홍콩 한국총영사관에 연락했다. 총영사관 담당 영사와 홍콩 경찰이 출동한 결과 김씨의 아내와 아들은 호텔 침대방에서 흉기에 목이 베어 숨진 채 발견 됐고, 현장에서는 13cm짜리 세라믹칼이 나왔다.
술에 취한채 발견 된 김씨는 손과 얼굴에 작은 부상을 입고 팬티만 입은 만취상태로 의자에 앉아 있었고, 경찰의 질문에 제대로 대답하지 못한 것으로 알려졌다. 그는 체포돼 퀸엘리자베스 병원으로 이송됐다.
김씨 가족은 지난 6일 홍콩에 도착해 마카오를 방문한 뒤 10일 홍콩에 다시 돌아왔으며, 사건 발생 전날 아내와 말다툼을 벌인 것으로 전해졌다.
홍콩 경찰 관계자는 피의자가 술에 취한 상태였다고 보고 있으며 “객실이 깨끗한 것으로 보아, 격렬한 저항은 없었다”고 말했다. 경찰은 현장에서 약품을 발견해 검시 등을 통해 범행과 관련 여부를 조사할 방침이다.
김씨는 미국 초콜릿 브랜드의 한국대표로
이 브랜드는 1981년 미국 콜로라도주에서 시작해 현재 미국, 캐나다, 필리핀, 한국 등에 375여개 매장을 보유하여 미국 내 초콜릿 브랜드 중 가장 많은 점포를 가진 수제 초콜릿 제조업체로, 김씨도 지난 2년간 서울 홍대, 가로수길, 삼성동, 대학로, 광화문, 종로, 부산광안리 등 핵심 상권에 18개의 점포를 운영하는 등 급격히 사업을 확장했으나 최근 사업부진으로 직원들의 임금체불과 심지어 매장 전기료도 미납한 것으로 전했다.
Pictures from Kim’s Facebook page show happier times with his family.
김씨는 평소 바쁜 와중에도 63빌딩이나 자신이 운영하는 초콜릿 카페 등에 가족들과 함께 놀러 가고, 아들의 생일 파티를 함께한 사진을 페이스북에 올리고 인스타그램에는 “나에게 매일 새로운 활력을 주는 유일한 원천은 가족이다”라는 글을 올리기도 하는 다정한 가장인 것으로 알려졌다고 신문은 보도했다.
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