Terminal Cancer Patient's Last Wish and Shocking Truth of a Mother-in-Law's Self-Imprisonment Revealed

The heart-wrenching last wish of a terminal cancer patient to find his estranged younger brother and the shocking truth behind a prospective mother-in-law's self-imprisonment due to kleptomania were unveiled.

On the recent episode of Channel A's 'Detectives' Secret Business' segment 'Detective 24 Hours,' the story of Koo Chul-hwe, a 68-year-old terminal cancer patient, was shared. Diagnosed with terminal stomach and liver cancer in the summer of 2025, Koo was given only 2-3 months to live. From his hospital bed, he expressed his dying wish to reunite with his younger brother, whom he lost contact with 14 years ago.

Koo, the fifth of six siblings, stayed in his hometown with his youngest brother to take care of their parents and farm, while the other siblings moved away. Koo even sacrificed his chance at marriage to care for the family and sold his prized cattle to support his brother's wedding. However, a dispute arose when Koo built a new house, and his brother's offer to supply boiler oil through his tanker-driving husband led to a malfunction and a heated argument.

Realizing later that it was all a misunderstanding, Koo spent years in regret and longing for his brother. Meanwhile, his brother faced a series of misfortunes, including his children's illnesses and a failed pig farming business. Defconn commented, "When people are overwhelmed, they tend to give up on everything," expressing sympathy. In 2012, Koo's brother suddenly disappeared. Despite extensive searches, the family couldn't locate him, and a detective agency even suggested he might have passed away. In his will, Koo expressed his desire to leave part of his estate to his brother, showing his enduring concern despite his own suffering.

In the 'Case Notebook' segment, a man set to marry in a month requested a premarital investigation, suspecting his prospective mother-in-law was avoiding him. The client, an acupuncturist, fell in love at first sight with the clinic director's daughter, who was also his girlfriend and soon-to-be wife. To him, her family seemed perfect.

However, the mother-in-law's sudden absence and the discovery of CCTV cameras and a locked room in the girlfriend's house raised suspicions. The detective team uncovered that the mother-in-law had repeatedly escaped from security guards only to be recaptured by her family. The client discovered her tied up in the locked room.

The truth was even more shocking: the mother-in-law had chosen self-imprisonment to combat her kleptomania. She confessed, "I've been jailed for habitual theft and tried various treatments, but nothing worked." This revelation led her daughter to quit her job and end her relationship, forcing the family to relocate to a place where no one knew them.

The mother-in-law lamented, "Whenever I came to my senses, I found stolen items in my hands. I felt like a monster." Confronted with this shocking family secret, the client decided to call off the wedding and part ways with his girlfriend. Married man Kim Poong remarked, "If I had known about my mother-in-law's kleptomania before marriage, I would still have married my wife," earning admiration. Guest detective Ozone shared his own eight-year love story, wishing the mother-in-law well with, "Stay healthy always."

By Taeyuna, TenAsia Reporter youyou@tenasia.co.kr