Over 500 Calls and Texts... Jang Hyeongjun in 'Ulsan Attempted Murder by Stalking' Sentenced to 22 Years Again on Appeal

Busan High Court Ulsan Panel Upholds Original Sentence

"Cannot Be Considered to Have Had Diminished Mental Capacity at the Time of the Crime"

Jang Hyeongjun (34), the defendant in the "Ulsan attempted murder by stalking" case, who stalked a woman he had dated and attempted to kill her by stabbing her dozens of times near her workplace, was again sentenced to a long prison term on appeal.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the Criminal Division 1 of the Ulsan Panel of the Busan High Court (Presiding Judge Yoo Jeongwoo) on June 11 sentenced Jang Hyeongjun to 22 years in prison, the same term as the first trial, on charges including attempted murder. The court also upheld the previous order of attaching an electronic location tracking device for 10 years and requiring 80 hours of participation in a stalking treatment program.

Flag in front of Busan High Court. Photo by Yonhap News

Jang Hyeongjun was indicted on charges of attempting to murder a woman in her twenties, identified as Ms. A, whom he had been in a relationship with, by stabbing her more than 40 times with a weapon in a parking lot in Buk-gu, Ulsan, on July 28 of last year.

About a month before the crime, Jang had unlawfully detained and assaulted Ms. A after she expressed her intention to break up, and even threatened her with a weapon. He also harassed her by making more than 500 phone calls and sending text messages over the course of a week.

It was also revealed that prior to the crime, Jang searched online for terms such as "killing a girlfriend," "Gangnam medical student girlfriend murder case," and "sentence for accidental murder," and visited the area near Ms. A’s workplace five times over ten days as part of his preparations for the crime.

In December of last year, the first trial court sentenced Jang to 22 years in prison, but Jang appealed, claiming diminished mental capacity and that the sentence was excessive.

The appellate court rejected Jang’s claim of diminished mental capacity. The court stated, "Given that the defendant planned the crime and waited for the victim to appear before immediately carrying out the act, and that he gave detailed statements about the crime during the investigation, it cannot be recognized that he was in a state of diminished mental capacity at the time of the crime."

The court added, "Although the sentence imposed on the defendant is relatively high compared to typical attempted murder cases, the method of the crime was extremely brutal, and it appears that the victim's physical and psychological injuries are unlikely to be fully recovered or healed. Considering the defendant’s disposition and behavior, there is a high risk of recidivism, so it is deemed necessary to isolate him from society for a long period to maintain public safety and order."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.