A Chinese national man who murdered a woman he was living with at their residence in Garibong-dong, Guro-gu, Seoul, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison.
On November 19, the 14th Criminal Division of the Seoul Southern District Court (Presiding Judge Lee Jeonghee) sentenced Mr. Kim (62), who was indicted on charges of murder, to 20 years in prison. The court also ordered five years of probation supervision.
The court determined that Mr. Kim had clear intent to kill, taking into account the weapon used, the area of the victim’s body that was stabbed, and the number of wounds. The court did not accept Mr. Kim’s claim of self-defense, considering the location and depth of his own injuries.
The court explained its sentencing by stating, “Despite having a prior conviction for assault that resulted in six weeks of medical treatment for the victim, for which he was fined, Mr. Kim did not reflect on his actions and ultimately committed murder, making the crime particularly grave. From the early stages of the investigation through to the trial, he offered implausible excuses, claiming he had no intent, and tried to shift the blame to the victim by saying it happened while defending himself, showing a clear attempt to evade responsibility.”
Mr. Kim was charged with murdering a woman in her 50s, with whom he was living, using a weapon at their residence in Garibong-dong, Guro-gu, Seoul, at around 3:17 a.m. on July 31 this year. It was confirmed that the crime occurred during an argument with the victim. The victim was transported to the hospital in cardiac arrest but ultimately died.
At the sentencing hearing on October 29, prosecutors requested a 30-year prison sentence for Mr. Kim, along with 10 years of electronic monitoring and five years of probation supervision.
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