Last year, Choi Won-jong (23), who wielded a weapon in a department store causing 14 casualties, was sentenced to the death penalty by the prosecution, the highest sentence in court.
On the 18th, at the final trial of Choi Won-jong held at the Suwon District Court Seongnam Branch Criminal Division 2 (Presiding Judge Kang Hyun-gu), the prosecution requested the court to impose the death penalty and order electronic monitoring for 30 years. At the time, two women, Kim Hye-bin (20 years old at the time of the incident) and Lee Hee-nam (65 years old at the time), who were hit by the car, died while receiving treatment at the hospital.
On that day, the prosecution stated, "Two women victims lost their precious lives due to the defendant's crime, and the physical and mental suffering of their bereaved families and injured victims is beyond words." They added, "Despite committing a cruel and inhumane crime, the defendant has not shown remorse, instead claiming diminished responsibility due to mental illness in an attempt to reduce the sentence without sincere efforts to restore the victims. The bereaved families and victims are petitioning for the maximum sentence. We request that the defendant be permanently isolated from society to uphold judicial justice."
After the prosecution's sentencing request, Choi Won-jong made his final statement, saying, "Even if I am permanently isolated from society as the bereaved families wish, I will repent so as not to cause further harm."
On the afternoon of August 3 last year, Choi Won-jong drove his mother's car and charged onto the sidewalk near AK Plaza Bundang Branch in Bundang-gu, Seongnam City, hitting five pedestrians. He then got out of the car and entered the department store, wielding a weapon.
The prosecution indicted Choi Won-jong on charges including murder, attempted murder, and attempted premeditated murder.
Choi Won-jong's defense attorney submitted a psychiatric evaluation suggesting that he was in a state of diminished responsibility due to schizophrenia at the time of the crime. The defense requested the court to consider this and emphasized the need for psychiatric treatment and custody due to the risk of reoffending.
The sentencing trial for Choi Won-jong will be held on the 1st of next month.
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