"Trying to Traffick Me" - 50s Man Kills Acquaintance in Delusion... Sentenced to 13 Years in Prison

Court: "Crime tools prepared in advance... premeditated murder"

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Byung-don] A court has handed a heavy sentence to a man in his 50s who was tried for killing an acquaintance he had known for 26 years, claiming that the acquaintance was trying to sell him into human trafficking.

On the 22nd, the Criminal Division 14 of the Seoul Southern District Court (Presiding Judge Kim Dong-hyun) announced that it sentenced Kim (57), who was indicted on murder charges, to 13 years in prison. Along with this, the court also ordered five years of probation following the completion of the sentence.

The court stated, "Murder is a crime that infringes upon the highest value of human life in an irreparable way and cannot be tolerated under any circumstances," and judged that "the defendant planned the crime by preparing the murder weapon in advance and traveling from a provincial area to Seoul."

It added, "The victim died painfully after being attacked in an unexpected situation by the defendant, who was a well-known acquaintance," and "Considering the circumstances of the case and the nature of the crime, severe punishment for the defendant is inevitable."

However, the court explained the sentencing reasons, saying, "The defendant is a first-time offender, admits to the crime, and shows remorse," and "The defendant committed the crime based on a delusional belief that the victim would sell him into human trafficking, and it appears that an accurate diagnosis and treatment regarding any mental illness are necessary."

Earlier, Kim was brought to trial on charges of killing a man in his 70s, Mr. A, whom he had known and worked with in the same industry for 26 years, with a weapon in a park in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, on July 20 of last year.

At the time, Kim, who had lost money through betting on cycle racing, asked the victim Mr. A for a loan but was refused, which led him to believe he was being disrespected and commit the crime.

Kim decided to kill, prepared the weapon, came up to Seoul, had dinner with Mr. A, and then lured him to the park where he committed the crime.

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