"Why Are You Looking Down On Me"... Man In His 70s Kills Wife After Argument

Goyang Branch of Uijeongbu District Court Sentences Him to 18 Years in Prison
"Stabbed Her Over 80 Times with a Weapon; Method of the Crime Was Brutal"

A man in his 70s who killed his wife after arguing with her over bringing used items home for recycling has been sentenced to a heavy prison term.

According to a report by Yonhap News on the 8th, the Criminal Division 1 of the Goyang Branch of the Uijeongbu District Court, presided over by Senior Judge Kim Heesu, sentenced a man in his 70s, identified only by his surname A, to 18 years in prison on charges of murder. The court also ordered that A be placed under probation for five years after the completion of his prison term. However, it dismissed the prosecution's request for an order to attach an electronic location-tracking device.

A was indicted and detained on charges of killing his wife, identified as B, who was alone at their daughter's home in Ilsandong-gu, Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, at around 11:25 p.m. on September 12 last year. The couple, who had long been in conflict over various issues, argued the day before the incident over matters such as B bringing home items previously used by others for recycling. A confronted her, saying, "Why are you bringing other people's trash into the house?" and B retorted, "I will leave the house." Enraged, B eventually left home and went to their nearby daughter's house.

Uijeongbu District Court, Goyang Branch. Yonhap News Agency

When B did not return home, A, angered, took a weapon and went to their daughter's house, where he committed the crime against B, who was alone. Immediately after the crime, A called emergency services at 119 himself and reported, "I killed someone." He stated to the effect that "there had been ongoing conflict, and on the day of the incident I felt she was looking down on me, which led me to commit the crime."

During the trial, A claimed that it was "an impulsive crime caused by a momentary emotional outburst." The court, however, did not accept this argument. The court pointed out, "Murder is a grave crime that takes a human life, and the damage cannot be remedied in any way, so a commensurate punishment is inevitable," adding, "It appears that the defendant prepared for the crime in a premeditated manner, and the method of the crime was also extremely brutal."

The court continued, "The defendant prepared for the crime in a planned way, such as by taking a kitchen knife in advance and putting it in his bag, and the method of the crime was extremely brutal in that he stabbed the victim more than about 80 times to kill her," adding, "The victim's daughter and others are believed to have suffered enormous psychological pain as a result. Nevertheless, the defendant repeatedly referred to the victim's 'unique sense of pride' and even showed an attitude of shifting responsibility for the crime onto the victim."

The court explained the sentencing rationale, saying, "Given these circumstances, there is a strong need to impose a heavy sentence on the defendant and isolate him from society for a long period of time," and added, "We took into account various sentencing factors, such as the fact that the defendant admits to the crime, the bereaved family's petition for leniency, and the absence of any prior criminal record."