"Brutal Crime"...Yang Minjun Sentenced to 25 Years for Killing Neighbor in His 70s Over Interfloor Noise Dispute

The Court: "Difficult to Understand Motive for Killing a 79-Year-Old"

"Also Questionable Whether He Truly Feels Remorse"

Yang Minjun, 47, who stabbed and killed a resident in his 70s living upstairs in an apartment in Cheonan, Chungnam, over issues of interfloor noise, has been sentenced to 25 years in prison in the first trial.

According to Yonhap News on July 20, the Criminal Division 1 of Cheonan Branch of Daejeon District Court, presided over by Chief Judge Cho Youngjin, sentenced Yang to 25 years in prison on charges of murder and special property damage. The court also ordered him to wear an electronic location tracking device for 10 years.

Yang Minjun, suspect in the inter-floor noise murder case in Cheonan, Chungnam. Chungnam Provincial Police Agency

Yang was indicted and taken into custody on charges of stabbing and killing Mr. A, the resident living upstairs, with a knife at an apartment in Cheonan at around 2:32 p.m. on December 4 of last year. At the time, Mr. A, who had been stabbed, escaped to the apartment management office and locked the door from the inside. Yang then drove his own car into the management office, broke down the door, and reportedly approached Mr. A and attacked him again with the knife. Due to the brutality of the crime and the serious harm caused, the police disclosed Yang's personal information immediately after the incident.

Yang's attorney argued that the defendant was of diminished mental capacity, citing his long-term medical records, including a history of epilepsy. However, when the psychological evaluation conducted at the hospital found no abnormalities, the defense withdrew this claim. Additionally, they insisted that the crime was committed impulsively due to construction noise from the apartment above, but the court did not accept this argument.

The bench pointed out, "When he went upstairs after hearing construction noise, he was already carrying a weapon and used it following a minor verbal dispute. Considering that he chased the victim, who had sought refuge, and attacked him multiple times, the defendant's claims are unconvincing." The court added, "It is difficult to understand the motive for murdering an elderly person aged 79, and the method of the crime was brutally cruel, so the degree of blame is severe. It is also questionable whether the defendant truly feels remorse, as he tried to reduce responsibility based on epilepsy treatment and shift the blame onto the victim."

Based on the results of the psychiatric evaluation, the bench determined that there was a high risk of recidivism and ordered the attachment of an electronic location tracking device. The court also ruled that Yang must not approach or contact the victim's bereaved family within 100 meters during the period of attachment.

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