60s Man Kills Acquaintance Over Unpaid 30 Million Won Debt... Sentenced to 13 Years in Prison

Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Yeon-ju] A man in his 60s who committed murder for not repaying borrowed money was sentenced to a heavy prison term again in the appellate court.

On the 9th, the 1st Criminal Division of the Jeonju Branch of the Gwangju High Court (Chief Judge Hwang Jin-gu) announced that it dismissed the appeals of both the prosecution and the defendant A (67), who was charged with murder, and upheld the original sentence of 13 years in prison.

The court stated, "The defendant's crime, which infringed upon the dignified value of human life, is a serious crime that cannot be tolerated under any circumstances," and added, "Furthermore, the defendant did not receive forgiveness from the bereaved families."

It continued, "However, considering that the defendant is a first-time offender and has admitted and reflected on the crime, the sentence determined by the original court cannot be seen as too heavy or too light," explaining the reasoning behind the sentencing.

A was indicted for stabbing and killing B (65), the homeowner, with a weapon at a house located in Hwangdeung-myeon, Iksan-si, Jeonbuk, at around 2:25 p.m. on May 25 last year.

At the time, A visited B with his wife and demanded repayment of the borrowed money, but B refused, leading to the crime.

B was taken to a nearby hospital but died.

According to the police, A had lent B 30 million won about 20 years ago for business expenses and other reasons.

During the police investigation, A reportedly stated, "I was angry when I heard that the 30 million won I lent over 20 years ago could not be repaid."

After being sentenced to 13 years in prison in the first trial, both A and the prosecution appealed, citing the sentence as inappropriate.

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