Prosecution Seeks Death Penalty for Choi Sejong in the Murder and Disposal of Two Women

Suspect Choi Sin-jong (31), who was arrested on charges of murdering two women (Photo by Yonhap News)

[Asia Economy Reporter Seungjin Lee] The prosecution has sought the death penalty for Choi Sin-jong (31), who murdered two women and disposed of their bodies.

At the sentencing hearing held on the 20th at the Jeonju District Court's 12th Criminal Division (Presiding Judge Kim Yu-rang), the prosecution stated, "The defendant is making excuses and rationalizing his actions," adding, "If the defendant had apologized to the victims even once, this burden on our hearts would not be so heavy."

They continued, "The defendant shows no remorse and has exhibited extremely bad behavior, including murdering, abandoning, raping the victims, and stealing money. There is a strong need to isolate him from society," and requested the court to impose the death penalty.

The prosecution emphasized the necessity of isolating Choi Sin-jong from society, citing his behavior after the crimes and the possibility of recidivism, and also requested the attachment of an electronic location tracking device.

On this day, the prosecution and Choi Sin-jong also engaged in a dispute over statements made during the investigation process.

The prosecution said, "When the defendant was first questioned, he requested to be sentenced to only 20 years," and added, "While the deceased victims could not speak, the defendant insulted them."

In response, Choi Sin-jong glared at the prosecutor and raised his voice, saying, "When did I ever ask for 20 years?"

Presiding Judge Kim repeatedly warned, "This is not a place to argue with the prosecutor. The defendant has the right to rebut. There is no need to get excited. Speak after listening to the prosecutor."

In his final statement, Choi Sin-jong said, "I never asked for 20 years. Whether it is the death penalty or life imprisonment, I only asked that my personal information not be disclosed. How could someone who killed two people receive only 20 years? Even if I argue like this, you think I am a psychopath and do not believe anything I say, right?"

Choi Sin-jong was indicted on charges of sexually assaulting A (34), a woman from Jeonju who was an acquaintance of his wife, around midnight on April 15, stealing 480,000 won from her, murdering her, and abandoning her body near a river. On April 19, he is also charged with murdering B (29), a woman from Busan whom he met through a mobile chat app, and abandoning her body in a field.

The sentencing hearing is scheduled for November 5 at 2 p.m.

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