Goyu-jeong Avoids Death Penalty... Step-Son Murder Acquittal Is Decisive (Summary)

Court: "Murder of Ex-Husband Was Planned... Severe Sentence Inevitable"
"Insufficient Direct Evidence Against Stepson... Presumption of Innocence"
Death Penalty Not Issued Due to Stepson's Not Guilty Verdict

Life Imprisonment Sentence Draws Sighs from Audience
Stepson's Father in Tears... Stunned for a Long Time

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] Ko Yu-jeong, who was arrested and indicted on charges of murdering her ex-husband and stepson, was sentenced to life imprisonment in the first trial. This is about nine months since the case became public following her emergency arrest on June 1 last year.

The Jeju District Court Criminal Division 2 (Chief Judge Jeong Bong-gi) held the sentencing hearing for this case on the afternoon of the 20th and delivered this sentence to the defendant Ko Yu-jeong. The court stated, "The defendant lured the victim, her ex-husband, under the pretext of visitation rights, administered zolpidem to kill him, and then systematically dismembered and concealed the body," adding, "The defendant shows no remorse or guilt toward the victim, making a heavy sentence inevitable."

According to the prosecution, Ko Yu-jeong is charged with stabbing her ex-husband Kang Mo with a weapon at a pension in Jocheon-eup, Jeju City, on the afternoon of May 25 last year, killing him, dismembering the body, and disposing of it. In September last year, during the first trial, an additional charge of murdering her stepson was added. Ko Yu-jeong claimed the killing of her ex-husband was an impulsive act and pleaded not guilty to the stepson's murder during the trial.

The court acknowledged the charges of murder and corpse mutilation and concealment of the ex-husband as presented by the prosecution but acquitted her of the stepson's murder charge. The court explained, "It is difficult to recognize the charges due to a lack of direct evidence." Furthermore, it stated, "Even if guilt can be proven by circumstantial evidence alone, there must be no contradictions among the indirect facts, and they must comply with scientific principles," adding, "If there are coexisting doubts, the presumption of innocence must be upheld."

Regarding the stepson, the cause of death was presumed to be positional asphyxia due to obstruction, but the court noted it was difficult to exclude the possibility that he died from being pressed by the current husband's leg. The court also said, "Although sleeping pill components were detected in the current husband's hair, it cannot be confirmed that Ko Yu-jeong diluted and administered them in the car," and rejected most of the prosecution's evidence related to the stepson case.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Earlier, the prosecution had sought the death penalty for Ko Yu-jeong at the final sentencing hearing. This was based on the Supreme Court sentencing guidelines, which allow for imprisonment of 20 years or more, life imprisonment, or the death penalty for defendants who commit murder against multiple victims (two or more). The prosecution also requested a consolidation of the cases after additionally indicting Ko Yu-jeong for the stepson's murder last year for the same reason.

However, as the court acquitted her of the stepson's murder charge due to insufficient evidence, Ko Yu-jeong was sentenced to life imprisonment, which is a lighter sentence than the prosecution's request. In fact, it is rare for the death penalty to be imposed in murder cases involving only one victim. The most recent case where the death penalty was handed down was the arson-murder case in an apartment in Jinju, Gyeongnam, where the defendant Ahn In-deuk was found guilty of killing five people. Lee Young-hak, known as the "Toothless Dad," was sentenced to death in the first trial for killing his daughter's friend but had his sentence reduced to life imprisonment by the Supreme Court.

When the court sentenced Ko Yu-jeong to life imprisonment that day, some spectators reportedly sighed. Ko Yu-jeong's current husband and the victim's father was said to have shed tears and was unable to leave his seat for a long time.