"Unfair Sentencing"... Medical Student Who Killed Girlfriend, Sentenced to 26 Years in First Trial, Seeks Reduced Sentence on Appeal

Attorney Appeals for "Unfair Sentencing"
Submission of Apology Letter and Letter of Reflection
Prosecution Requests Victim's Mother as Witness
Over 2,500 Petitions Submitted

Choi Mo (26), a medical student who killed his girlfriend with a weapon, was sentenced to 26 years in prison in the first trial, and he claimed a sentence reduction in the second trial on the grounds of unfair sentencing.

The Seoul High Court Criminal Division 7 (Presiding Judges Lee Jae-kwon, Park Joo-young, Song Mi-kyung) held the first hearing of the second trial on Choi's murder charge on the 12th. On that day, Choi's defense attorney stated, "The defendant's personality traits, the full circumstances of the crime, and other factors were not sufficiently investigated, so we appealed on the grounds of unfair sentencing, requesting a reassessment of the sentence." It is known that Choi submitted an apology letter and a letter of reflection to the court.

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The prosecution, which sought the death penalty in the first trial, said, "Regarding the sentencing reasons, it seems necessary to investigate the motive for the crime, the electronic monitoring order, and the risk of reoffending," and applied to call the victim A's mother, who was in contact with A until just before the crime, as a witness. The victim's side attorney stated that more than 2,500 petitions demanding severe punishment from family members and ordinary citizens have been submitted regarding this case.

Choi was arrested and indicted on charges of stabbing and killing A multiple times with a weapon on the rooftop of a building near Gangnam Station in Seoul on May 6 of last year. He had registered a marriage without informing his parents in April of the same year with A, who was his romantic partner, and it was confirmed that A's parents, who found out about this late, filed a lawsuit to annul the marriage.

Choi's defense claimed mental illness in the first trial, but the psychiatric evaluation revealed that he was not in a state of mental illness. At that time, the court said, "The intent to kill is definitively recognized, and the method of the crime was cruel, making it highly blameworthy," and sentenced Choi to 26 years in prison. However, the court dismissed the prosecution's request for an electronic monitoring order and probation. After the verdict, both Choi and the prosecution appealed on the grounds of unfair sentencing and other reasons.