South Korean Woman Dies in Coffin During 'Spiritual' Ritual to Rid of Bad Luck

Investigators told local media that the deceased woman was a member of an alleged “pseudo religion,” promising to solve various problems through unconventional cult rituals.

A South Korean woman in her 40s was found dead in a wooden coffin after she took part in a spiritual ceremony, believing that the “death experience” would help rid her of misfortune and bring her good luck in the future, The Korea Times reported.

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The extraordinary rite took place overnight in the city of Gumi, in the central region of South Korea, and required three women to lie and sleep in wooden coffins, local police told the Yonhap news agency.

The two survivors found their friend dead the following morning; they told investigators that the now-deceased woman complained that it was so hot that she could not breathe and tried to get out of the coffin, but they convinced her to proceed with the ritual.

The cause of the death is yet to be determined, but there were no signs of foul play, police said.

“It’s possible the victim suffocated while sleeping inside the airtight coffin. An autopsy will be conducted to find the exact cause of death,” a police officer told The Korea Times.

According to local media, citing investigators familiar with the case, the three women were followers of a “pseudo-religious cult,” the number of which has recently spiked in South Korea.