20s Siblings Who Murdered Grandmother During Lunar New Year Holiday Embrace and Sob After Heavy Sentence

Younger Brother with Intellectual Disability Killed by Assault at Grandmother's House
Sister Psychologically Dominated by Teaching Murder Method

A brother and sister in their 20s who were tried for murdering their grandmother in Busan during the recent Lunar New Year holiday were sentenced to heavy prison terms.

On the 30th, the Criminal Division 1 of the Eastern Branch of the Busan District Court (Chief Judge Lee Dong-gi) sentenced siblings A (24) and B (28, female), who were indicted for killing a direct ascendant, to 15 years in prison each, according to a report by Yonhap News Agency on the same day.

The younger brother, A, was tried on charges of assaulting and killing his grandmother (in her 70s) at her home in Busan on February 9, during the Lunar New Year holiday. At the time, A is accused of repeatedly assaulting his grandmother, including hitting her head against a wall during an argument, which led to her death.

The older sister, B, was not present at the scene during the incident but was prosecuted as an accomplice. B is accused of reinforcing A’s motive by suggesting various methods of killing after A, who has a level 2 intellectual disability, expressed a desire to kill their grandmother. She also informed A about ways to disguise the crime as an accident, such as accidental death, leading the investigative authorities to conclude that B effectively participated in the murder and thus indicted her.

The motive behind their crime is reported to have stemmed from dissatisfaction over the management of the grandmother’s disability pension and basic living allowance.

The court stated, "When the younger brother said he wanted to kill their grandmother, the sister suggested methods such as lead powder poisoning and feeding mold, and even cultivated mold herself. It appears that B functionally controlled the act by mentally reinforcing the murder plan to her trusting and dependent brother and instructing him on how to disguise it as an accident or fall."

Additionally, B told A things like, "If grandmother passes away, you can spend money freely. I will double your allowance and let you use a card."

B denied the charges, claiming that she tried to stop her brother at the train station before he went down to Busan for the Lunar New Year holiday. However, the court rejected B’s claim, stating, "Stopping the defendant once or twice did not interrupt the commission of the crime. The crime was committed due to continuous psychological reinforcement and control."

Regarding sentencing, the court considered that "A has a level 2 intellectual disability and suffered mental difficulties, and was under strict economic control by the grandmother, even attempting suicide twice, which are mitigating factors." However, the court added, "Taking a human life cannot be excused by any means, and the victim likely experienced extreme mental and physical suffering during the killing. Especially, killing a direct ascendant is a heinous crime with high blameworthiness."

Previously, the prosecution had requested 24 years in prison for each of them. Upon receiving the heavy sentences, A and B held hands and wept. The older sister B also broke down in tears while hugging her younger brother A and apologizing.