40-Year-Old Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Stalking and Killing One-Room Apartment Landlord

It was revealed through chatting that a man in his 40s who stalked a woman who refused to meet him and hid in an empty one-room apartment to see her, eventually killing the building owner, was sentenced to 30 years in prison.

The Supreme Court's First Division (Presiding Justice Kim Seon-su) on the 16th upheld the original sentence of 30 years imprisonment for Mr. A, who was charged with murder, special trespassing of a building, violation of the Act on the Punishment of Stalking Crimes, special threats, confinement, and violation of the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment, etc. of Sexual Crimes (special rape). The original court's order to attach an electronic tracking device for 20 years was also confirmed.

In early November 2021, Mr. A met a woman, Ms. B, through chatting. When she refused to meet him, he went to the one-room building where Ms. B’s younger sister lived and frequently entered and secretly stayed in the vacant rooms of the building. On December 15 of the same year, when the building owner, Mr. C, entered a room to make repairs, Mr. A wielded a weapon, and Mr. C was struck and died on the spot.

The first trial recognized all charges against Mr. A as guilty and sentenced him to life imprisonment. It also ordered the attachment of an electronic tracking device for 20 years. The second trial reduced the sentence to 30 years imprisonment, stating that "Mr. A expressed remorse and declared his intention to atone for his sins for the rest of his life."