Prosecution Seeks Life Sentence for 'Stalking Murder' Kim Byung-chan... Bereaved Family Says "Heartbreaking in Family Month"

Kim Byung-chan, who was under personal protection due to stalking, murdered his ex-girlfriend / Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] The prosecution has requested a life sentence for 'stalking murderer' Kim Byung-chan (35, male).

On the morning of the 23rd, the prosecutor asked the Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 26 (Presiding Judge Jung Jin-ah) to sentence Kim Byung-chan to life imprisonment at the sentencing trial for charges including the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes (retaliatory murder). The prosecution also requested a 20-year electronic monitoring device (electronic anklet) attachment order.

The prosecutor stated, "This crime was premeditated and the method was brutal," adding, "Considering that the perpetrator meticulously studied ways to escape after the crime to avoid the investigation net, it is clear that this was a planned murder." Furthermore, "(According to CCTV footage) the victim was stabbed indiscriminately with a weapon, and when the victim sat down on the floor and no longer resisted, the perpetrator tried to flee but returned and stabbed again," the prosecutor emphasized.

On the other hand, Kim Byung-chan's defense repeatedly argued that it was not a planned crime but an 'impulsive crime.' The defense attorney said, "We offer our sincere condolences to the bereaved family who are suffering great pain," but also requested leniency, saying, "Please consider the defendant's admission and remorse, the absence of prior convictions above probation or similar offenses, and that the murder was committed impulsively." "Since the electronic anklet severely restricts physical and privacy freedoms, the risk of reoffending must be strictly assessed," and requested the dismissal of the electronic anklet attachment order.

In his final statement, Kim Byung-chan said, "I committed the greatest crime that a person should never commit. I will take full responsibility for what I have done and endure any severe punishment," adding, "I will live with a continuously remorseful heart. I am sorry."

On the same day, the bereaved family appealed to the court for a 'death sentence.' A's father requested the court to speak, saying, "(My eldest daughter) was stabbed with a knife but tried to call for help using a smartwatch given by the police, yet she received no assistance and died alone in pain," and added, "The murderer cruelly took the precious and valuable life of my very kind daughter and even hired a public defender to claim it was an impulsive crime to reduce the sentence."

A's mother also tearfully said, "'May, the month of family,' has turned into such a cruel month that breaks my heart," adding, "Seeing my younger siblings take care of Mother's Day, which my eldest daughter had been preparing for, just as she used to do, makes my heart ache and feel sad." She further urged the court to severely punish Kim Byung-chan, who destroyed a family, for the sake of daughters in the world.

Previously, Kim Byung-chan was brought to trial on charges of stabbing a woman in her 30s, A, multiple times with a weapon and killing her at an officetel in Jung-gu, Seoul, on November 19 last year. He is also accused of repeatedly trespassing into A's home, detaining, and threatening her from the second half of 2020 until November last year.

At the time of the murder, A was under police protection after reporting Kim Byung-chan for stalking four times, and Kim had been subject to provisional measures such as a restraining order from the court. The court is scheduled to deliver the verdict at 1:50 p.m. on the 16th of next month.