60s Man Stabs Acquaintance with Knife After Dispute Over Playing Hwatu... 10 Years Prison Sentence in First Trial

A Dispute During Hwatu Game Leads to Crime
False Testimony Causes Confusion in Investigation
"I Should Have Stabbed Only Once"
No Sign of Remorse for the Crime

A man in his 60s who was charged with stabbing an acquaintance multiple times with a weapon after a dispute during a game of Hwatu was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Photo by Asia Economy DB

According to Yonhap News on the 3rd, "The Criminal Division 11 of Jeonju District Court (Presiding Judge Kim Sang-gon) sentenced Mr. A (67), who was indicted on charges of attempted murder, to 10 years in prison." Earlier, Mr. A was charged with stabbing his acquaintance Mr. B (63) 12 times with a weapon under a bridge over the Jeonju Stream around 12:35 a.m. on February 15. It was revealed that Mr. A committed the crime after a dispute arose while playing Go-Stop with Mr. B.

On the day of the incident, Mr. A called 112 and confessed, saying "I killed someone," then turned off his cellphone to avoid being tracked and was found to have consumed alcohol. Additionally, even after being arrested by the police about an hour after the crime, Mr. A lied about the location of the crime to confuse the investigation.

Because of Mr. A's lies, Mr. B was left under the bridge for a long time. He suffered severe injuries requiring surgery to restore his organs. However, upon hearing about Mr. B's condition, Mr. A repeatedly said, "I should have stabbed him only once," showing no remorse for his actions.

The court stated, "Even though Mr. A reported the crime to the police, the fact that Mr. B did not die is unrelated and merely a 'coincidental circumstance,' so it cannot be considered a mitigating factor." It continued, "Life is an absolute value that cannot be exchanged for anything, so crimes that infringe upon it cannot be tolerated even if they result only in an attempt. The reason this case did not lead to the extreme outcome of the victim's death is thanks to the prompt response of the 119 emergency medical team dispatched to the scene."

The court explained the sentencing by saying, "The defendant drank alcohol just before being arrested but took no measures to help the victim. Considering that the victim is still recovering and will require ongoing surgery and treatment, strict punishment is necessary."