30-Year-Old Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Beating Police Officer Friend to Death

Court: "After murder, went to girlfriend's house and slept calmly, showing bad criminal nature"

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Byung-don] A man in his 30s who is accused of fatally assaulting a police officer friend while drinking together at his home has been sentenced to a heavy prison term.

On the 11th, the Criminal Division 11 of the Seoul Southern District Court (Presiding Judge Lee Hwan-seung) sentenced Kim (30), who was indicted on murder charges, to 18 years in prison and 5 years of probation.

The court stated the reason for sentencing, saying, "Considering the method of assault and the defendant's behavior immediately after the crime, contrary to the defendant's claims, he fully recognized the situation and the consequences of his actions at the time of the crime," and "the charge of intentional murder is acknowledged."

Kim killed police officer A, who belonged to a district police station in Seoul and was close to him, on December 14 last year at his home in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, by subduing him with a 'jiu-jitsu' technique and then smashing his face onto the floor.

Kim and A were college classmates and were close enough that Kim served as the master of ceremonies at A's wedding in 2018.

The prosecution judged that accumulated stress and inner violent tendencies exploded emotionally, and Kim intended to kill A, repeatedly striking his face with his fists, which led to A's death.

Immediately after the incident, Kim left A and went to his girlfriend's nearby vacant house to wash off the blood and then slept.

The next morning, Kim returned to his home and reported to 119 that his friend was bleeding, collapsed, and not breathing.

Kim has claimed that he does not remember the situation at the time and denies that it was intentional murder.

At the sentencing hearing last month, the prosecution requested the court to impose a life sentence considering the brutality of the crime.

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