Episode 38:
OMG This is NOT Typical Korean BBQ, Crazy Family who Grilled Their Daughter Alive

On September 18, 2024, emergency services in Bupyeong, Incheon received a disturbing call from a Korean barbecue restaurant. A man claimed his sister had collapsed and fallen onto burning charcoal.

When paramedics reached the second floor, they found 35-year-old Inseon Yeom lying on the floor beneath a blanket. Her breathing was weak, and the smell of burned flesh filled the room.

An Accident That Made No Sense

At first, the family claimed Inseon had suffered a terrible accident. But the injuries did not match their explanation.

A restaurant charcoal grill is small. If someone fell onto it, they would instinctively pull away. But Inseon's burns covered her chest, abdomen, and upper body, far beyond what a simple fall could explain.

She was transferred to a specialized burn hospital in Seoul, but died two days later. Police soon realized the family was hiding something.

The Camera On The Ceiling

Seven people had been at the restaurant that day. Most were relatives: Inseon's older brother, her aunt Shim, Shim's children, a cousin, and an acquaintance named Park.

When questioned, every person gave a different story. Some said she collapsed from exhaustion. Others claimed she tripped while moving charcoal.

But the second-floor security camera revealed the truth. Around 4 p.m., Shim directed the others as they laid a large metal frame flat on the floor.

Inseon was made to lie face-down on the frame. Her hands and feet were restrained. Beneath her body was a brazier filled with burning charcoal.

A Ritual Of Control

For hours, Inseon was burned alive while surrounded by her own family. When she lost consciousness, Shim grabbed her hair, hit her face, and forced her back awake.

Her older brother and cousin repeatedly came upstairs and saw what was happening. No one stopped it. No one called for help.

After Inseon became unresponsive, the group tried to cool her wounds with wet towels and even placed raw meat over her burned body. They still waited about an hour before calling emergency services.

Before paramedics arrived, they removed the metal frame, hid the brazier, cleaned the scene, and even concealed Inseon's phone.

Suspicious

The central figure was 79-year-old Shim, Inseon's aunt. She had worked as a shaman for decades and had built a small circle of followers, most of them her own relatives.

Shim claimed Inseon was possessed by an evil spirit. She told the family the torture was not abuse, but a sacred exorcism meant to save her.

Investigators later found a deeper motive. Shim had been struggling financially and wanted control over the successful barbecue restaurant that Inseon had been running.

Inseon had begun resisting Shim's control and wanted to leave for Ulleung Island to be with her parents. To Shim, that meant losing control of the restaurant and the family.

Final Thoughts

The most disturbing part of this case is not only the brutality of what happened. It is the number of people who watched it happen.

Inseon was surrounded by family, yet no one protected her. Instead, years of fear, obedience, and blind belief turned them into participants.

Shim was sentenced to life in prison, while her children and follower Park received long prison terms. Inseon's older brother and cousin were also sentenced for aiding and abetting the crime.

This case remains a chilling reminder of how dangerous blind trust can become when one person is allowed to turn faith, family, and fear into complete control.