Prosecutors Seek Life Sentence for Husband Who Murdered Wife for Refusing Sex

Prosecutors have sought a life sentence for a man in his 30s who murdered his wife three months after their marriage because she refused to have sex with him.

On September 11, during the final hearing for Seo's murder charge at the 11th Criminal Division of the Seoul Southern District Court (Presiding Judge Jang Chan), prosecutors requested that the court sentence him to life imprisonment. Prosecutors stated, "This is a crime committed with a motive that is incomprehensible to any reasonable person," and pointed out, "Furthermore, he attempted to destroy evidence after the crime, which makes the nature of his offense particularly egregious."

Seo is accused of strangling his wife to death while intoxicated at their home in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, on March 13. He was acting as the chief mourner at his wife's funeral when he was urgently arrested by the police. Seo initially denied the charges during police questioning, but after being presented with evidence, he reportedly claimed that the crime was committed impulsively.

In his final statement that day, Seo said, "Because of my wrongdoing, I lost someone precious and committed an act that should never have been done."

The sentencing hearing for Seo is scheduled for the 25th.