SBS Unanswered Questions will air on the 30th, spotlighting the brutal reality of Incheon’s so-called 'charcoal exorcism murder case,' the latest court rulings, and the perpetrators’ hidden secrets.
The case dates back to September 2024, when a grotesque, anti-human crime at a restaurant in Incheon shocked the nation. A woman in her 30s was bound to a metal rack while charcoal briquettes burned beneath her, and an 'exorcism ritual' was forced on her for nearly three hours. She sustained burns over 25% of her body and ultimately died.
Professor Seong-ho Yoo of Seoul National University’s Department of Forensic Medicine explained, "When more than 20% of the body surface is burned, the blood vessels are essentially burned and vaporized, and the nerves are all damaged, leading to excruciating pain."
Even more shocking were the identities of the accused. The perpetrators were the victim’s aunt—identified as a shaman surnamed Kim—her cousins, and the victim’s older brother. In the first trial, the court sentenced the aunt, Kim, to life imprisonment; her accomplices received 20-year terms, and the brother was sentenced to 10 years for aiding and abetting murder. However, the appellate court overturned the verdict, downgrading the charge from murder to 'inflicting injury resulting in death.' The appeals court ruled the perpetrators had no intent to kill and did not foresee the victim’s death. As a result, Kim’s sentence was reduced from life to seven years, while the six accomplices received sentences of three years or less and were released with suspended terms.
The appeals court also questioned whether the victim had consented to the exorcism ritual and cast doubt on the prosecution’s claim that Kim committed the crime for economic exploitation. The starkly conflicting rulings sparked major controversy.
Unanswered Questions says it has obtained the victim’s previously unreleased autopsy report and portions of on-site CCTV footage from the day of the incident, and plans to pursue the truth behind the case.