College Student Granddaughter in Her 20s Sentenced to 5 Years for Fatally Stabbing Grandfather at First Trial

"No intent to kill": Convicted of causing an ascendant's death through bodily injury
Called police and attempted CPR immediately after the attack
First offense and remorse considered; prosecutors sought 20 years in prison

A university student in her 20s who killed her paternal grandfather with a weapon was sentenced to five years in prison. The court ruled that it was difficult to find that she intended to kill him, rejecting the charge of murdering an ascendant and instead convicting her of causing the death of an ascendant through bodily injury.

Seoul Northern District Court in Dobong-gu, Seoul. Reporter Park Hosu.

On October 23, the 11th Criminal Division of the Seoul Northern District Court, presided over by Chief Judge Choi Kyung-seo, sentenced Noh, 24, who had been indicted and detained on a charge of murdering an ascendant, to five years in prison.

On the key issue of whether Noh had intended to kill, the court ruled, "Reasonable doubt remains as to whether the defendant swung the weapon with the intent to kill the victim." It cited the fact that Noh called 112 immediately after the incident, did not hide the weapon before police arrived, and attempted cardiopulmonary resuscitation to save the victim.

The court also found insufficient evidence to conclude that she had planned the killing in advance. The prosecution argued that Noh may have planned the crime because she kept the weapon in her room rather than in the kitchen. However, investigators found that she spent most of her time in her room to avoid encountering her grandparents and ate her meals alone. The court explained that the mere fact that she kept the weapon in her room was not enough to conclude that she had prepared to kill him.

The circumstances at the time of the crime also informed the court's decision. It noted that Noh fled to her room after arguing with her grandfather, then swung the weapon to stop his aggressive behavior, and stabbed him in the back of the shoulder rather than in a vital area such as the chest.

On sentencing, the court stated, "This was an antisocial crime that cannot be condoned: the defendant failed to control a momentary emotion, inflicted bodily injury, and caused the victim's death." It also stressed, "Although it appears that the defendant had been treated unfairly by the victim, that does not justify the crime."

However, the court took into account that Noh had no prior criminal record, showed remorse, and that the bereaved family did not want her punished. It also considered that Noh had repeatedly told her father about her conflicts with her grandfather, but the family could not afford separate housing, and that the incident appears to have occurred while she was enduring the conflict in order to save money for studying abroad.

Noh was indicted on suspicion of stabbing her grandfather in the back of the shoulder with a paring knife during an argument at their home in Dapsimni-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, on May 18, 2026, causing his death.

Meanwhile, at the final hearing in September, prosecutors sought a 20-year prison sentence for Noh.

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