'Wife Murder During Divorce Lawsuit' 20-Year Prison Sentence Leads to Appeals from Both Defendant and Prosecution

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[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Byung-don] A man in his 50s who was sentenced to 20 years in prison in the first trial for killing his wife with a weapon during an argument amid a divorce lawsuit has appealed the verdict, and the prosecution has also appealed.

According to the Criminal Division 14 of the Seoul Southern District Court, Mr. Jang (50) submitted an appeal to the court on the 17th. The prosecution, which had requested a life sentence, also confirmed that it appealed on the 22nd.

Earlier, the court sentenced Mr. Jang to 20 years in prison on the 16th for charges including murder.

Mr. Jang was arrested and indicted on charges of 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 (charges of murder and violation of the Act on the Control of Firearms, Swords, and Explosives).

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

The court sentenced Mr. Jang to 20 years in prison, stating, "He committed a heinous act of killing the victim in front of his father-in-law and caused irreparable wounds and pain to their two young daughters."

It added, "However, the defendant admitted to all the crimes in this case, showed remorse, and is a first-time offender. It appears that the crime was somewhat impulsive after a long period of domestic discord with the victim, and he immediately called 119 to report and provide aid," explaining the reasons for sentencing.

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