Man Who Killed Abusive Father with Weapon Sentenced to Six Years in Prison

Son’s Claim of Self-Defense Rejected
Supreme Court Finalizes Six-Year Prison Sentence for Man in His 30s

Yonhap News Agency

A six-year prison sentence has been finalized for a man in his 30s who killed his father, who had repeatedly committed domestic violence. Self-defense was not recognized, but the sentence was reduced compared to the initial 10-year prison term handed down in the first trial.

The First Division of the Supreme Court, presided over by Justice Shin Sookhee, announced on the 28th that it had finalized the appellate court’s ruling last month, sentencing the man to six years in prison for parricide.

In October 2017, the man killed his father at their home in the Philippines, where he lived with his parents and younger sister, making a total of four family members. The family had moved to the Philippines in 2005 and operated a chain of beauty salons. In 2017, they were preparing to open a Korean restaurant and a bakery cafe. Investigations found that around that time, the man’s father frequently hurled verbal abuse and insults at his family due to stress related to the business.

On the day of the incident, at around 8 a.m., the then 26-year-old man’s father became angry and verbally abusive over delays in opening the Korean restaurant, striking the back of his son’s head. The family members knelt and apologized to calm the situation. However, just an hour later, the father slapped the younger sister over the same issue and threatened the mother with a weapon when she tried to intervene. The fatal incident occurred while trying to stop him.

During the trial, the man consistently argued that he acted in self-defense to protect his mother and sister, and that at the very least, excessive self-defense should be recognized. However, the courts did not accept this claim. Both the first and second trials concluded that the killing occurred after the father had lost consciousness and collapsed, making it impossible for him to continue threatening the family. The courts also noted that after the man confronted his father, who was armed with a weapon, the mother and sister immediately went into a room and did not come out during the incident.

The first trial stated, "It appears there was a strong intent to kill," and sentenced the man to 10 years in prison. The appellate court also did not recognize self-defense or excessive self-defense, but reduced the sentence to six years, noting, "The victim had an overbearing attitude toward his family, and the man, caught off guard and enraged by the domestic violence, seems to have acted impulsively." The Supreme Court upheld the sentence, stating, "There was no violation of logical or empirical rules, nor any misunderstanding of the legal principles regarding self-defense or excessive self-defense, that would warrant overturning the previous ruling."