Man in His 70s Who Blamed Victim After Killing Neighbor Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison

Thirty-Year Prison Sentence Finalized as Appeal Dismissed

Murder of Woman in Her 80s in De Facto Marriage with Older Brother

A man in his 70s who murdered an elderly neighbor in a de facto marriage with his older brother, then mutilated and abandoned the body while blaming the victim, will in effect spend the rest of his life in prison.

According to Yonhap News and the legal community on September 24, the Supreme Court dismissed the appeal of Mr. A (78), who was indicted on charges including murder, destruction and abandonment of a corpse, and violation of the Stalking Punishment Act, and upheld the original sentence of 30 years in prison.

Mr. A was brought to trial on charges of murdering Ms. B, a woman in her 80s, on October 3 last year in Sanyang-ri, Sangseo-myeon, Hwacheon-gun, Gangwon Province, then mutilating her body and abandoning it on a riverside. When the investigation closed in on him, Mr. A ingested drugs. He was treated at the hospital, then taken into custody and received a 30-year prison sentence at his first trial in January of this year.

During the trial, Mr. A stated, "I feel sorry for the victim," but added, "The victim was in a de facto marriage with my older brother, and while he was hospitalized and ill, she met another man, so I killed her," shifting the blame for the crime to the victim.

At the first trial, when asked by the judge if he wished to request a jury trial, he answered, "I don't know," "Your Honor, you decide," and "I don't know because I'm uneducated," displaying an uncooperative attitude and receiving stern criticism from the court. It was reported that he never submitted a letter of reflection even up to the Supreme Court trial.

The prosecution requested a life sentence for Mr. A, stating, "Even after committing this grotesque, brutal, and immoral crime, he has shown no evidence of genuine remorse." However, both the first and second trial courts found 30 years in prison to be appropriate.

The appellate court said, "He killed the victim based on the mistaken belief that she, who had essentially been a relative-in-law, was meeting another man, then brutally mutilated and abandoned her. Such acts gravely undermine the fundamental values of life and respect for the deceased in our society, which makes his guilt extremely severe." Regarding sentencing, they explained, "He is currently of advanced age, appears very frail and in poor health, so in practical terms, this sentence is no different from a life sentence for the defendant."

The Supreme Court also reviewed Mr. A's claim that the sentence was excessive but dismissed the appeal, stating that there was no change in circumstances to warrant a different sentence.

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