Korean Man Sentenced to Death for Killing Father Who Came to Vietnam to Mediate Marital Dispute

Killed His Father Believing He Sided Only With His Wife
Vietnamese Court: "A Harsh Sentence Is Unavoidable"

A Korean man in his 40s has been sentenced to death in Vietnam for murdering his father. The victim, who had traveled to Vietnam to mediate a conflict and admonish his son for domestic violence during a fight between the couple, was killed in the process.

A Korean man accused of killing his father while trying to stop a fight between his parents in Vietnam was sentenced to death. Tuoi Tre

According to local media outlets such as VN Express and Tuoi Tre on May 29 (local time), a court in Ho Chi Minh City sentenced a Korean man in his 40s, identified as A, to death the previous day on charges of murder. A is accused of stabbing his father to death with a weapon in his apartment in Ho Chi Minh City in March of last year.

According to the indictment, A, who was living in Ho Chi Minh City with his Vietnamese wife, assaulted his wife and killed their pet dog during a fight in March of last year. After the incident, his wife left the house with their two children and informed her father-in-law (A's father), who was living in Korea, about the situation over the phone.

Three days later, A's father traveled to Vietnam to meet his son in person and resolve the conflict. While drinking together at A's home, he urged his son to "treat your wife better," and they went to sleep in separate rooms. Later, A took out a weapon and brutally killed his sleeping father. It is reported that A committed the crime in a fit of rage, believing that his father was taking his wife's side and scolding only him.

Afterwards, A attempted to take his own life by self-harm and then went outside, eventually falling asleep on the lawn of the apartment complex. The next morning, a security guard on patrol found A and reported him to the police. While checking the apartment with A's wife, the security guard discovered the body of A's father.

During the trial, A admitted to the murder charge but pleaded for leniency, stating that he needed to care for his two children. A's older brother also appeared in court as the victim's representative, stating, "My brother must pay the price for what he has done," but also asking, "I hope he is given a chance to care for his young children."

However, the court stated, "The crime was barbaric and inhumane, making a severe sentence unavoidable," and handed down the maximum penalty allowed by law.