On the afternoon of the 14th, friends of Taiwanese exchange student Zheng Yilin, who was killed after being hit by a drunk-driving vehicle at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul, respond to reporters' questions regarding the trial outcome. (Photo by Yonhap News)
[Asia Economy Reporter Tae-min Ryu] A habitual drunk driver who killed a Taiwanese exchange student by hitting him with a car while driving under the influence appealed the first trial verdict sentencing him to eight years in prison just one day after the ruling.
According to the legal community on the 15th, Kim (52, male), who was sentenced to eight years in prison on charges including dangerous driving causing death under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes, submitted an appeal to the Seoul Central District Court on the same day.
Earlier, the court unusually handed down a heavier sentence than the prosecution's demand of six years, criticizing, "The defendant drove under the influence again despite having been punished twice in the past for drunk driving."
Kim's side has not yet disclosed specific reasons for the appeal, but it is known that the appeal was made on the grounds that the sentence was too heavy, considering that he admitted the charges and pleaded for leniency in the first trial.
On November 6 last year, Kim was driving a car while intoxicated and exceeding the speed limit on a road in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, when he violated a traffic signal and hit Zheng Yilin, a Taiwanese exchange student crossing the crosswalk, causing his death.
This case became widely known after the bereaved family posted a petition on the Blue House website urging stricter punishment for drunk driving, which was also reported by Taiwanese media.
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