Man in his 40s kills wife with a long sword during divorce lawsuit, sentenced to 20 years in prison in first trial

Court: "The crime committed in front of the victim's father is horrific and shocking"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Byung-don] A man in his 40s accused of killing his wife with a weapon during an argument amid a divorce lawsuit was sentenced to 20 years in prison in the first trial.

The Seoul Southern District Court Criminal Division 14 (Chief Judge Kim Dong-hyun) sentenced Jang (50), who was indicted on charges including murder, to 20 years in prison on the 16th.

The court criticized, "Considering that the victim's father was present at the crime scene, this is clearly a horrific and shocking incident."

However, the court added that it reflected several circumstances in sentencing, such as Jang having had an unfortunate childhood due to his parents' divorce, a poor relationship with his spouse, and the fact that he belatedly learned that the victim had borrowed money to invest in stocks and cryptocurrency and suffered losses.

Jang was arrested and indicted on charges of murder and violation of the Act on the Safety Control of Firearms, Swords, and Explosives for stabbing and slashing his wife more than 10 times with a long sword at a villa in Hwagok-dong, Gangseo-gu, Seoul, around 2 p.m. on September 3 last year.

At the time, it is known that Jang swung the long sword he had been keeping during an argument with his wife, who had come home to pick up her belongings. Jang and the victim had been undergoing a divorce lawsuit and had been living separately since May of this year. After the crime, Jang reported himself to the police.

The prosecution demanded a life sentence for Jang at the sentencing hearing held on the 26th of last month.

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