Pastor Couple Beat Daughter to Death, Ordered Noodles While Body Lay Nearby

The news of that day has passed, but its meaning remains with us today. "Today's That Day" reads the present through records of the past.

"Love your neighbor as yourself."

This verse appears in Matthew 22:39 of the Bible. Eleven years ago today, a case came to light in which a pastor who preached about loving one's neighbor beat not a neighbor but his own daughter for seven hours until she died.

On March 17, 2015, Pastor Lee (then 47) and stepmother Baek (then 40) beat their daughter, identified only as "A" (12 at the time of death), a first-year middle school student, to death over an extended period in the living room of their Seoul home. The reason: A had allegedly stolen church offering money and lied about it.

Seven Hours of Beating—Ordered Jajangmyeon, Then Found Daughter Dead

The beating continued for approximately seven hours, from 5:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The couple struck A's palms, calves, and thighs more than 50 times with such intensity that a wooden stick broke. Her thighs swelled to the size of horse muscles, and severe bruises formed on her calves.

The abuse continued even after the beating ended. The couple stripped A of her top and made her sleep wearing only underwear in an unheated room to prevent her from escaping.

A eventually stopped breathing. But the couple did not immediately call 119 or the police. Instead—perhaps hungry after the prolonged assault—they ordered jajangmyeon (black bean noodles) and ate. Their daughter's body was left covered with a blanket in the room. When the corpse began to smell over time, the couple sprayed air freshener.

On November 24, 2016, the Supreme Court finalized sentences of 20 years for Lee and 15 years for Baek on charges including child abuse resulting in death and abandonment of a corpse under the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Child Abuse Crimes.

"She Ran Away," They Lied—Body Found Mummified 10 Months Later

Ten days after their daughter's death, on March 31, 2015, the couple reported A to police as a "missing person" in an attempt to cover up their crime. Police at the time classified it as a simple case of failure to return home, noting A had a history of running away.

The breakthrough came 10 months later, in January 2016, through testimony from A's friend. "When I met A shortly after she ran away around March 15 last year, she had bruises on her calves and hands. When I asked, she said she had been beaten the day before." Armed with this statement, police suspected criminal activity rather than simple disappearance and launched a full investigation.

On February 3 of that year, police searched Lee's home. What they found was A's body, left under a blanket in a mummified state. The full picture of the case emerged.

"We Thought Prayer Would Bring Her Back"—Supreme Court Confirms 20 and 15 Years

During the investigation, the couple offered a difficult-to-accept explanation for why they had left the body for so long: "We thought if we prayed, she could come back to life."

At trial, prosecutors sought 14 years for Lee and 12 years for Baek. The court, however, imposed heavier sentences.

The first-instance court sentenced Lee to 20 years and Baek to 15 years in prison. The couple appealed, arguing, "We will suffer for the rest of our lives because of this case. The first-instance sentence is too heavy and unjust." The appellate court upheld the same sentences.

The court stated: "The victim, their daughter, suffered brutal abuse from the person she loved most—her father. It is understandable that the first instance imposed sentences exceeding the prosecution's recommendation. We do not accept the defendants' appeal claiming the sentences are too heavy."

Regarding the couple's claim that they left their daughter's body "for religious reasons, believing she would be resurrected," the court noted: "We question whether that constitutes a proper religious belief."