An octogenarian man, Choi, who was arrested and indicted on charges of murdering a debtor for not repaying billions of won in debt, was sentenced to 18 years in prison and fined 3 million won.
On the 7th, the Criminal Division 8 of the Seoul High Court (Presiding Judges Kim Jae-ho, Kim Kyung-ae, Seo Jeon-gyo) stated, "The defendant denied the intent to kill in the first trial but admitted it in the second trial. However, considering the brutal outcome of the crime, it is difficult to see any grounds for changing the sentence," dismissing both the prosecutor's and Choi's appeals.
Last May, Choi wielded a weapon in an elevator of an apartment in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, killing a woman in her 50s, Ms. A. He also attempted to kill the victim's son in his 20s who was nearby, but failed.
Choi testified that he had lent Ms. A approximately 4 billion won and was burdened with a high interest rate.
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