Paju cafe owner arrested in frozen warehouse murder case

Police in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, are investigating the murder of a woman in her 60s after her body was discovered in a cafe's frozen warehouse. The suspect, a man in his 30s who operates the cafe, has been arrested and detained on murder and fraud charges.

The victim had reportedly met the suspect for the first time on September 3 to discuss the exchange of gift certificates. Investigators believe the victim may have discovered that the certificates—estimated to be worth approximately 50 billion won—were counterfeit, prompting the suspect to lure her into the -25 degree Celsius warehouse.

Evidence suggests the crime may have been premeditated. On the day of the incident, the suspect instructed employees not to come to work and the cafe's CCTV cameras were reportedly non-functional. Authorities are also investigating the involvement of at least three accomplices and the distribution network of the counterfeit certificates. An autopsy has been requested to determine whether the victim died from exposure or was killed before being placed in the warehouse.