A South Korean man in his 40s, allegedly due to stock market losses and debts of 200 million won, strangled his 9-year-old son before jumping to his death from his 20th-floor apartment. However, a 2025 report on South Korea's wealthy indicates that the sources of wealth for South Korean millionaires have shifted from primarily real estate investment and inheritance to a focus on income from business, labor, and financial investments. On one hand, stocks have become a societal investment consensus; on the other hand, the high degree of uncertainty in the financial market and the societal atmosphere that demands successful investment have exacerbated the psychological burden on individuals.
A 40-year-old South Korean man allegedly killed his son and then committed suicide by jumping off a building after incurring 200 million won in investment debt.
According to a report by the JoongAng Ilbo, the bodies of a man in his 40s and his 9-year-old son were found in an apartment in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. The Gyeonggi Yongin Eastern Police Station stated on the 12th that a handwritten note, believed to be written by the deceased, was found in the deceased's home. The note read: "This is suicide chosen due to failure."
At approximately 5:55 PM on the 11th, the man fell to his death from the 20th floor of an apartment building in Giheung-gu, Yongin City. Police found his 9-year-old son, who was parked in the back seat of his car in the same apartment building, unresponsive. Preliminary investigations suggest the boy died from asphyxiation due to neck compression, leading to the conclusion that the man strangled his son before jumping to his death. Police also obtained testimony from the bereaved family, indicating that the man had told them he had lost 200 million won due to stock investments.
Therefore, the police are investigating the possibility that he committed patricide due to pessimism about life and then committed suicide.
2025 South Korean Rich Report: Wealthy Individuals Shift Assets from Real Estate to Stocks, Cryptocurrencies, and Gold
KB Financial Group recently released its " 2025 Korea Rich Report ," defining the wealthy as those holding more than 1 billion won in both financial and real estate assets. The report indicates that the number of wealthy individuals in South Korea has increased from 130,000 in 2011 to 476,000 in 2025, representing an average annual growth of 9.7% over the past 15 years. Their total financial assets have also surpassed 3,000 trillion won for the first time.
However, the asset structure of the wealthy is undergoing a significant shift, with the proportion of real estate continuing to decline, while the allocation to financial assets, crypto assets, gold, and other assets is gradually increasing. The sources of wealth are also shifting from primarily real estate investment and inheritance to a focus on income from business ventures, earned income, and financial investments. Despite facing a highly uncertain market environment, most wealthy individuals tend to maintain their current investment strategies, but among short-term and medium-to-long-term high-yield investment options, stocks are still widely regarded as the most promising asset.
South Korean society is simultaneously experiencing intense financial pressure and structural transformation. On the one hand, high-net-worth individuals are gradually reducing their reliance on real estate and turning to highly volatile assets such as stocks and cryptocurrencies in pursuit of returns and liquidity. On the other hand, the high degree of uncertainty in the financial markets and the social atmosphere that demands successful investment have exacerbated the psychological burden on individuals.
When investment is no longer just about asset allocation, but is imbued with the expectation of turning one's life around, proving one's worth, or even maintaining family stability, market volatility can transform into heavy social pressure. This also highlights that in South Korea's highly competitive and performance-oriented environment, the popularization of financial literacy, the establishment of risk awareness, and a more tolerant social understanding of investment failure are not only wealth management issues, but also important issues concerning social security and mental health.
This article, "2025 South Korea Report: Wealth Sources Shift from Real Estate to Stocks! But a Man, Due to Investment Debts of 200 Million, Killed His Son and Then Committed Suicide," first appeared on ABMedia ABMedia .
