"Both the Deceased and the Killer Are Our Children"... Parents Plead for Leniency for Younger Brother in 'Older Sister Murder' Case

Defendant's Father Pleads for Son's Leniency in Court... "Asks for Forgiveness from Deceased Daughter"
Prosecution: "Traveled with Girlfriend 5 Days After Crime... Doubtful of Remorse"

Younger brother A, accused of murdering his older sister and disposing of the body, is entering the Incheon District Court in Michuhol-gu, Incheon City, on May 2nd to undergo a pre-arrest suspect interrogation (warrant hearing). [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] "The deceased is still my child, and the one who killed is also my child. I ask for leniency so that I can ask my daughter for forgiveness and have the one remaining child return to my arms."

At the sentencing hearing of A (27), the younger brother who was caught after 4 months for killing his older sister and abandoning her body in a farm irrigation canal in Ganghwa-do, Incheon, the father read a letter pleading for leniency for his son.

On the 13th, Chief Judge Kim Sang-woo of the 12th Criminal Division at the Incheon District Court said, "We will give the parents of the victim and the defendant an opportunity to express their opinions."

In response, A's father sat in the witness stand in the courtroom and read a prepared plea. He introduced himself as "the parent of two siblings who now have no one by their side," and said, "My daughter is far away in heaven, and my son is incarcerated in the detention center."

He continued, "After the incident, I felt like I was going crazy and wanted to end my life, but I couldn't because there was no one to take care of my foolish son, and thinking of my daughter who is lonely in the family park made me cry."

A's father said, "My daughter suffered because she was born to the wrong parents, never got to fully realize her dreams, and was taken to heaven by her younger brother," adding, "I never thought I would burn incense for my child in my life, and it feels like the sky is falling."

He then said, "It is so frustrating to think about how my kind and diligent son, who used to listen well, could commit such a terrible act," bowing his head and apologizing, "I am sorry for causing trouble to society."

However, as both the victim's and perpetrator's family, A's parents tearfully pleaded for leniency for their son. A's father said, "The deceased is my child, and the one who killed is also my child," and added, "Of course, he must pay for his crime, but I ask for leniency so that I can ask my daughter for forgiveness and have the one remaining son return to my arms."

In his final statement, A said, "I could not control my emotions in the moment and committed the crime against my sister who cared for and loved me," adding, "I deeply regret causing irreparable emotional wounds to my parents and those around me. No matter how many times I bow my head to apologize, it is not enough, but I want to sincerely say I am sorry."

Younger brother A, who is accused of murdering his older sister and disposing of the body, was escorted to Ganghwa Police Station in Ganghwa-eup, Ganghwa-gun, Incheon on the afternoon of April 29. [Image source=Yonhap News]

On the same day, the prosecution demanded a life sentence for A, who was indicted on charges of murder and corpse abandonment. The prosecution pointed out, "The defendant stabbed his sister multiple times with such force that the tip of the weapon broke," and "Considering his behavior after the crime, such as going on a trip with his girlfriend five days after the incident, it is questionable whether he felt any remorse."

They continued, "It is hard to accept the defendant's attitude of blaming the victim even after killing his sister who criticized his lifestyle out of concern for his well-being," and "Considering the victim was left on the cold bottom of the farm irrigation canal for four months after being killed, the defendant must be severely punished," explaining the reason for the demand.

A was indicted for stabbing his sister, who was in her 30s, more than 30 times with a weapon at an apartment in Namdong-gu, Incheon, around 2:50 a.m. on December 19 last year.

He placed his sister's body in a travel bag and left it in the apartment rooftop storage for 10 days before disposing of it in a farm irrigation canal in Seokmodo, Samsan-myeon, Ganghwa-gun, Incheon, using a rental car.

Investigations revealed that A committed the crime after an argument with his sister, who criticized his behavior such as running away from home and overspending on the day of the incident.

After the parents reported the sister missing to the police, A sent fabricated messages to the investigators to deceive them. He inserted his sister's phone SIM card into another device and sent messages alone to make it appear as if she was still alive. Using the same method, he even deceived his parents, leading them to cancel the missing person report filed on April 1 this year.

A used mobile banking to transfer 6 million won from his sister's bank account to his own and spent it on living expenses such as food. He also made small payments totaling about 3.6 million won using his sister's phone to purchase game items and other things.

The sister's body was discovered on April 21, four months after being abandoned in the farm irrigation canal, and A was arrested by the police on April 29. In earlier police investigations, A admitted to the charges but claimed the crime was impulsive.

A's sentencing hearing will be held on the 12th of next month.

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