Medical Student Sentenced to 30 Years in Appeal for 'Gangnam Station Girlfriend Murder'

Court: "Premeditated and Brutal... No Remorse Shown"
Five Years of Probation Ordered, Electronic Monitoring Request Denied

A medical student, Choi Mo, who was sentenced to 26 years in prison in the first trial for murdering his girlfriend on the rooftop of a building near Gangnam Station in Seoul, received an increased sentence of 30 years in prison in the appellate court.

A medical student, Choi Mo, who murdered his girlfriend on the rooftop of a building near Gangnam Station in Seoul, was sentenced to 30 years in prison in the appellate court. Yonhap News

On June 13, the Seoul High Court's Criminal Division 7 (presiding judge Lee Jaegwon) sentenced Choi, who was indicted on murder charges, to 30 years in prison and ordered five years of probation. However, the court dismissed the prosecution's request for an electronic monitoring device order.

The court stated, "This case was meticulously planned, and the method of the crime was extremely brutal," adding, "A clear intent to kill the victim was evident throughout the entire course of the crime." The court further pointed out, "There was neither the slightest protective measure nor any remorse shown toward the victim after the crime," and questioned, "It is doubtful whether there was any human respect for the victim."

The court continued, "The motive for the crime claimed by the defendant is difficult to accept, and there are no other circumstances to be considered in favor of the defendant," adding, "It is impossible to fathom the pain, fear, sorrow, and sense of futility the victim, who was mercilessly killed, must have felt in her final moments."

Additionally, the court explained the sentencing, stating, "The fear and despair the victim must have felt in her last moments are unimaginable," and, "It is doubtful whether the defendant is truly remorseful; merely submitting a written statement of reflection or making a final statement is not sufficient to recognize genuine remorse."

The possibility of recidivism was also noted. The court stated, "Considering the means and circumstances of the crime, there is a likelihood that the defendant may commit murder again in the future," and explained that "imprisonment alone is insufficient to prevent recidivism," thus ordering probation. However, the court dismissed the request for an electronic monitoring device, stating, "There is no need to impose a location-tracking device."

Choi was indicted and detained last May on charges of stabbing and killing his girlfriend, identified as A, multiple times with a weapon on the rooftop of a building near Gangnam Station in Seoul. Prior investigations revealed that Choi had registered a marriage with A and concealed it from their parents, and committed the crime after A's parents, upon learning of the marriage, filed a lawsuit to annul it.

According to the prosecution's investigation, Choi had maintained a long-term romantic relationship with A, who was his middle school classmate, but after conflicts arose, he planned the murder in advance and prepared a weapon.

In December last year, the first trial court sentenced Choi to 26 years in prison. Both the prosecution and the defendant appealed, claiming the sentence was either too light or too heavy. At the sentencing hearing in the appellate court, the prosecution again requested the death penalty, as in the first trial, along with 30 years of electronic monitoring and a probation order.