On April 4, SBS’s investigative program Unanswered Questions broadcast an episode that examined the fatal abuse of a stepson in Iksan.
The incident took place at about 7:00 p.m. on January 31, 2025, at a hospital in Iksan, North Jeolla Province, South Korea. A man carried his unconscious 14-year-old stepson into the emergency room; despite more than 50 minutes of CPR, the boy died.
Medical staff found bruises and wounds across the boy’s body. He was identified by the pseudonym Kim So-mang. Police, responding to a report of suspected abuse, arrested the child’s guardian in his 40s at the scene. The man had married the boy’s mother eight years earlier and was his stepfather.
An ER staff member said the thin child was in cardiac arrest. The father told staff that the boy had been communicating until about 30 minutes earlier and then suddenly stopped breathing. Staff also noted the child had lost color in his face and body.
Emergency personnel performed CPR and administered medications, continuing resuscitation for roughly an hour. The boy briefly regained a heartbeat but never regained consciousness. Doctors said resuscitation efforts typically last about 30 minutes in total.
The doctor observed that the guardian showed no visible anxiety or tears—behavior that struck staff as unusual for a parent. It was also notable that they drove to the hospital instead of calling emergency services (119).
Dashcam audio captured the mother’s frantic voice while the father’s remained calm. He reportedly said he did not know the hospital’s location and parked at a health checkup center rather than at the emergency entrance. When the mother told him, “You should have called 119,” he replied, “I’m faster than 119.”
An ER staffer added that a bruise on the boy’s earlobe suggested signs of assault and abuse rather than a simple accidental injury.
