One man was found dead and another critically injured inside a vehicle parked by a highway near Yeosu, South Jeolla Province on July 31, leading to a police investigation last weekend.
Both victims were discovered with severe wounds to the thigh, apparently inflicted by an external object. Police autopsy revealed the man died of excessive bleeding and sepsis, resulting from an injury inflicted by rocks.
According to authorities, the two men were friends who met through an online game three years ago. The pair had a lingering financial dispute and had agreed to a marathon debate to iron out their disagreement until one side backs down.
For the next three weeks, the men lived together in a car. As the argument went on, they reportedly decided to hit each other's thighs with stones whenever the other fell asleep. They took turns hitting each other's thighs with stones five times -- both are reported to have sustained cuts on their hands in the process -- leading to one man's death at around 11:40 a.m. last Saturday.
The police are also considering the possibility that the two people who were immersed in the game got to the point of confusing it with reality.
A signed contract between the two men, according to law enforcement, included a deadly clause – namely that any participant who falls asleep during the process would face physical punishment.
Authorities have dismissed the contract's legal standing. The injured man, now hospitalized, faces manslaughter charges.
