Three Men in Their 20s Sentenced to Prison for Detaining Friend and Causing Death by Water Torture and Assault

Handcuffed and Habitually Assaulted
Left Unconscious...Eventually Causing Death

A group of people in their 20s who confined a friend in a one-room apartment and caused death through assault and other acts were sentenced to prison.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jeong-wan] Three men in their 20s who were tried for causing the death of a friend through cruel acts such as water torture were sentenced to heavy prison terms.

The Criminal Division 12 of Daegu District Court (Chief Judge Jo Jeong-hwan) announced on the 27th that A (22), who was tried on charges including special aggravated confinement resulting in death, was sentenced to 5 years in prison; B (23) was sentenced to 6 years; and C (23) was sentenced to 3 years.

A had been close friends with the victim D (22) since childhood, attending the same daycare and church. B came to know D in February 2022 through A, and C had known D since around 2017.

From July last year, they lived together in a one-room apartment in Chilgok, Gyeongbuk, under the condition that A paid a deposit of 2 million won and D paid a monthly rent of 300,000 won.

It was understood that around this time, B began subjecting D to cruel treatment. B claimed that because he had paid 200,000 won in overdue fees and fuel costs when D took out a loan to buy a car, D owed him 10 million won. B then handcuffed D, forced him to sleep, and habitually assaulted him, making D earn money or take on household chores.

B also assigned A and C the role of controlling D’s life and ordered them to beat D if he failed to properly run errands or do housework. A and C complied and participated in the cruel acts.

In November last year, A and others reportedly stomped on D’s neck to knock him unconscious and forcibly submerged his head in the sink water, among other cruel acts. From February, they handcuffed D with metal cuffs to prevent him from going outside and continued to beat him all over his body with a blunt weapon.

Eventually, the victim’s condition worsened to the point of unconsciousness from early March, but he was left untreated and neglected, ultimately dying on March 19 in the hospital emergency room from severe chest injuries and other causes.

The court stated, "The victim, a 22-year-old young man at the time of death, not only ended his short life due to the defendants’ crimes but also likely experienced extreme pain and despair while enduring cruel treatment until his death."

It added, "Although the cruel acts were mainly led by B, the degree of involvement of each defendant is not light," explaining the sentencing by noting, "A was not forgiven by the bereaved family, while B and C reached a settlement with the victim’s side."