Court States: "Clearly a Premeditated Murder... Original Sentence Appears to Be Within a Reasonable Range"
Kim Myunghyun, who murdered a stranger, disposed of the body, and then used stolen money to purchase a lottery ticket, was once again sentenced to 30 years in prison on appeal.
On May 30, the Daejeon High Court Criminal Division 1 (presiding judge Park Jinwhan) dismissed both the prosecution's and Kim Myunghyun's appeals against the conviction for robbery and murder, upholding the original sentence of 30 years in prison.
Previously, the prosecution had appealed on the grounds that the original sentence was too lenient, while Kim Myunghyun appealed on the grounds that it was too severe.
The court stated, "Although the defendant claims that he did not intentionally murder the victim in a cruel manner, a comprehensive review shows that this was clearly a premeditated murder," adding, "It appears that the original sentence was determined within a reasonable range," explaining the reason for the dismissal.
Kim Myunghyun was indicted for killing a man in his 40s in a car parked at a restaurant in Dongmundong, Seosan, Chungnam Province, at around 9:40 p.m. on November 8 last year, and fleeing after stealing 130,000 won.
He was also charged with fleeing in the victim's car, abandoning the body nearby, and setting it on fire. Investigations revealed that he used the stolen money to purchase a lottery ticket and cigarettes, among other items.
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