"Considering the Brutality of the Crime and the Suffering of the Bereaved Family...
A Heavy Sentence Is Inevitable"
Prosecutors have sought a life sentence for Lee Jihyun (34), who fatally stabbed a woman she did not know in Seocheon, South Chungcheong Province.
At the sentencing hearing for Lee, held on June 17, 2025, at the Criminal Division 1 of the Hongseong Branch of the Daejeon District Court (presided over by Judge Na Sanghun), prosecutors requested life imprisonment and an order for electronic monitoring.
The prosecution stated, "Due to the so-called 'indiscriminate' nature of the crime committed by the defendant, the local community has been gripped by extreme anxiety that their own family members could become victims of violent crime," and added, "Given the brutality of the act and the suffering of the bereaved family, a severe sentence commensurate with the gravity of the offense is inevitable."
Lee's defense attorney argued, "The defendant has an intellectual disability, which leads to difficulties in expression and communication, but there was no intent to evade testimony or conceal the crime," and asked the court to consider both Lee's deep remorse and her disability in determining the sentence.
In her final statement, Lee said, "I am sorry to the victim."
Previously, at the last hearing, Lee's legal team had requested a psychiatric evaluation on the grounds of diminished mental capacity, but the court rejected the request.
Lee was indicted for stabbing and killing a woman in her 40s whom she encountered for the first time with a weapon on the roadside in Sagok-ri, Seocheon-gun, South Chungcheong Province, at around 9:45 p.m. on March 2, 2025.
The sentencing hearing for Lee is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on July 22, 2025.
Meanwhile, the South Chungcheong Provincial Police Agency has previously disclosed Lee's personal information, citing the brutality of the crime, the seriousness of the harm, and the opinions of the victim's family.
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