Korean bizman found dead; his son tagged as suspect

ILOILO CITY, Philippines — A Korean businessman was found dead inside his apartment at Jaro district in Iloilo City on Tuesday morning.

Senior Inspector Tranquilino Querubin Jr., Jaro Police Station chief, theorized that the victim, 57-year-old Jin Soo Chun, could have been killed before 9 a.m. of October 10.

A certain Inday, the apartment's caretaker, claimed she heard a loud thud inside the Korean family's unit at Block 4, Lot 30, Ledesco Village in Barangay Cubay of Jaro district.

Shortly after, the victim's wife first asked her help to call for an ambulance. Personnel from the Iloilo City Emergency Responders (ICER), an ambulance service, arrived around 9:20 a.m.., but the medical team, after a thorough check, reportedly did not bring the victim to the hospital after learning that he was already dead.

The incident was only reported to police authorities at 10 a.m. When the Police Scene of the Crime operatives (SOCO) arrived, Jin was found slumped on the floor with a rope tied around his neck.

Near his body was a knife, and several broken plates were also found inside the apartment to suggest a commotion took place.

Responding policemen later invited Jin's son, 25-year-old Hye Soo Chun, for questioning. Querubin said Hye is considered a suspect after rope marks were found on his hands. When the incident happened, the victim was with his wife, their 22-year old daughter, and Hye.

Hye apparently has not been staying and just arrived in Iloilo City while his father also came from Baguio City, where they had a restaurant business.

The couple's daughter claimed that her parents were in an argument, and Hye allegedly tried to mediate. After sometime, she said she just saw her father on the floor, face down and with a rope on the neck.

Querubin said they received reports that Jin had been physically hurting his wife and, even, his daughter. "We could not say for now if the victim and the suspect had an argument over the former's physical battery against his own family," he added.

Querubin said investigators are looking at the possibility that at the height of their argument, the son took a rope to strangle his father.

As of this writing, questioning is still being conducted on the suspect, who is not fluent in English or other local dialect. "His (Hye) status is ‘arrested,’" Querubin said.

It was gathered that the family owned also a classy salon at a mall in Mandurriao district, Iloilo City. The salon also had a branch in Bacolod City. Aside from the Baguio City restaurant, the family was about to open up a bakeshop. (FREEMAN)