# Body abandonment investigation in Seoul

> Developing situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/body-abandonment-investigation-in-seoul
> Updated: 2026-11-02T04:47:34.000Z. Sources: 8. Developments: 3.

Police in Seoul are investigating the death of a 50-year-old Chinese national whose mummified body was discovered wrapped in plastic and newspaper at a waste collection site in Guro-gu. The deceased had been residing in South Korea illegally since 2011. Records indicate the man was hospitalized in an intensive care unit for 17 days in August due to an underlying illness, but was discharged on August 31 without paying medical bills.

Authorities arrested a man in his 60s and an 80-year-old landlord on suspicion of abandoning the body. A Seoul court rejected arrest warrants for both suspects, citing a low risk of flight or destruction of evidence. The 60-year-old suspect admitted to the act, while the landlord claimed he believed he was instructing the disposal of an object that looked like a doll.

Investigators are looking into the movements of the deceased's female cohabitant, who was also an undocumented resident and reportedly left the country while the man was hospitalized. While the body was found in an empty adjacent room rather than his usual quarters, no signs of foul play have been confirmed. Police are awaiting final autopsy results from the National Forensic Service to determine the exact cause and timing of death.

## Timeline

### 2026-11-02: Seoul Police Investigate Mummified Body of Chinese National Found in Guro

Seoul police are investigating the death of a Chinese national found mummified in Guro. The man had been hospitalized in August and discharged without paying medical bills before his death.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/seoul-police-investigate-mummified-body-of-chinese-national-found-in-guro

### 2026-10-29: Seoul Court rejects arrest warrants for two men in body abandonment case

A Seoul court denied arrest warrants for two men accused of abandoning a Chinese national's body in Guro, citing low flight risk.

3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/seoul-court-rejects-arrest-warrants-for-two-men-in-body-abandonment-case

### 2026-10-27: Seoul Police arrest two men after mummified body found in Guro-gu

Two men, aged 60 and 80, were arrested in Seoul after a mummified body was discovered in a residential trash area in Guro-gu.

7 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/seoul-police-arrest-two-men-after-mummified-body-found-in-guro-gu

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Cite as: Body abandonment investigation in Seoul. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/body-abandonment-investigation-in-seoul