'Hyochang-dong Stabbing Murder' 50s Man Sentenced to 20 Years... Court Calls It "Random Murder"

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Dong-hoon] Bae Mo (54), the perpetrator of the 'Hyochang-dong stabbing incident,' who provoked a passing couple and wielded a weapon, killing one person and injuring another, was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

The Criminal Division 11 of the Seoul Western District Court (Presiding Judge Lee Dae-yeon) sentenced Bae Mo, who was indicted on charges including murder, to 20 years in prison on the 19th.

Bae was tried on charges of stabbing victim A to death with a weapon in the parking lot of a villa in Hyochang-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, around midnight on January 26, and assaulting A’s girlfriend, woman B, who tried to intervene, causing her injury. Bae deliberately approached A, pushing his shoulder twice to provoke a quarrel. He then went into his nearby home, took out a weapon, chased after A, and killed him, according to the investigation.

The court stated, "The defendant deliberately provoked a quarrel with a victim he had never met before, citing anger at the current administration's policies, and despite the victims not responding and trying to leave, he chased and brutally killed them. This is a random murder, and the motive is highly condemnable," delivering this judgment.

The court noted, "Although the CCTV footage at the crime scene does not clearly show the stabbing, it confirms the defendant thrusting the weapon toward the victim’s torso," recognizing intent.

It added, "Immediately after the crime, despite seeing the victim bleeding and unable to move, the defendant showed no sign of surprise but instead hit B’s face and walked away from the scene. He also admitted to stabbing the victim to the police and investigative authorities who arrived shortly after the escape," rejecting Bae’s claims.

The court also dismissed claims that Bae was in a state of diminished responsibility due to anger control disorder and bipolar disorder at the time of the crime, stating, "There is no evidence of psychiatric treatment or diagnosis, and after confirming that the stabbing scene was not clearly captured on CCTV, he retracted previous statements," refusing to acknowledge these claims.

The prosecution demanded a life sentence at Bae’s sentencing hearing held last month.

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