South Korea arrests man in his 20s for inviting woman to his home over chat app and causing her death

A man in his 20s was arrested on suspicion of inviting a woman in her 20s who was suffering from depression to his home via a chat app, and then aiding and abetting her in taking her own life.
On the 28th, Uiwang Police Station in Gyeonggi Province announced that they had made an emergency arrest on the 27th of a man in his 20s, suspect A, on suspicion of solicited murder by fraudulent plot, and were currently investigating the case.
Suspect A is accused of inviting Ms. B, a woman in her 20s whom he had recently met through a chat app, to his home and spending a few days with her, after which he was involved in Ms. B taking her own life.
B has been diagnosed with depression in the past and has been receiving treatment. It is understood that she met A after reading what A posted on a chat app. B was on the 27th.
She is presumed to have died in the morning. A letter-like note believed to have been left by B to her family was also found at the scene. Police were tracking down C, a teenage girl who had been reported as a runaway, when they found A.
The suspect's crime was confirmed. By tracing C's location through communication investigations, it was found that C, like B, had seen the message posted by A and visited A's home on the afternoon of the 27th.
During police investigation, suspect A reportedly stated, "I had been drinking and was asleep, but when I woke up around 11pm, I found B dead," and "I don't remember the details."
After B died, C, who visited A's house, was confirmed to have stayed in the officetel (a residence and office) for about six hours until the police arrived at around 9 p.m.
The apartment was a maisonette, and the body of B was on the upper floor, so C did not see it. On the other hand, suspect A did not have a special occupation and was involved in the process of B's death.
It is not yet known whether he was directly involved or assisted. The police plan to ask the National Forensic Service to perform an autopsy on Mr. B's body.
In addition, if it is discovered that Suspect A was directly involved in the crime, they are considering changing the charge to "murder."
The crime of solicited murder by fraudulent means is specified in Article 253 of the Penal Code, and is a crime involving soliciting or consenting to suicide by fraudulent means or by intimidation.
This crime is applied when a person commits a crime by inducing or making a decision to commit a crime. The statutory punishment is the same as for murder, and is death penalty, life imprisonment, or imprisonment for five years or more. This is different from the crime of contract murder, which is specified in Article 252 of the Penal Code.
The article clearly states that a person who kills another person at their request or consent shall be sentenced to imprisonment of between one and ten years. The biggest difference between the two charges is whether the other person was deceived into making the decision by fraudulent means.
If a person deceives another person into deciding to commit suicide or asking for their permission and then carries out the act, it is considered the same as murder. A police official said, "Suspect A used chat with Person B and Person C to trick them into committing suicide.
He is believed to have given her his address and had her come to his house," and added, "It is not yet clear whether suspect A also suffers from a mental illness or whether they attempted suicide together."
■Main consultation services listed on the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare website to prevent suicide ●Mental health consultation hotline: 0570-064-556
●Yorisoi Hotline: 0120-279-338, From Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima prefectures: 0120-279-226
● Lifeline: 0570-783-556