4 dead in apparent group suicide in S. Korea

SEONGJU, South Korea, June 2 (Yonhap) -- Four people were found dead in an apparent group suicide in South Korea, police said Thursday, raising concerns that group suicides may be on the rise again in the country.
The people, including two females, were found dead in a car in this city, 296 kilometers south of Seoul, according to police. They are presumed to have inhaled toxic fumes by burning coal briquettes inside a vehicle with its windows sealed. They left suicide notes in their bags, police said.
Police said they are investing the case, which they believe may be related to online cafes used to plan group suicides.
Police have been cracking down on such online cafes following a spate of similar deaths in past years that raised fears of a social epidemic.
Most used charcoal briquettes in closed spaces that caused the victims to suffocate from the toxic fumes.
According to a report by Statistics Korea, 13.5 out of every 100,000 people between the ages of 15 and 24 committed suicide in 2008, the highest ratio among all causes of death reported for the age group.
sam@yna.co.kr