'Serial Killer' Kwon Jae-chan, Death Sentence in First Trial Reduced to Life Imprisonment in Second Trial

Kwon Jae-chan, who was sentenced to death in the first trial for killing a woman he knew, robbing her of valuables, and beating a co-conspirator who helped dispose of the body to death with a blunt weapon, had his sentence reduced to life imprisonment in the appellate court.

Kwon Jae-chan is being transferred from Michuhol Police Station in Michuhol-gu, Incheon to the prosecution on December 14, 2021. [Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 23rd, the 7th Criminal Division of the Seoul High Court (Presiding Judges Lee Gyu-hong, Lee Ji-young, Kim Seul-gi) overturned the first trial’s death sentence for Kwon Jae-chan, who was detained and prosecuted on charges of robbery-murder and corpse disposal, and sentenced him to life imprisonment. The order to attach an electronic tracking device (electronic anklet) for 30 years was maintained.

The court stated, "While it is acknowledged that the robbery was planned, it is difficult to definitively conclude that the murder was also planned," and added, "Although severe punishment is naturally warranted, it is questionable whether there are any special circumstances that justify the death penalty in the eyes of anyone." It further said, "It is appropriate for him to live socially isolated without a fixed period, reflecting, repenting, and atoning."

Earlier, on December 4, 2021, Kwon Jae-chan was detained and prosecuted on charges of strangling a woman in her 50s, Ms. A, whom he knew, to death in the underground parking lot of a commercial building in Michuhol-gu, Incheon, and disposing of her body in the trunk of a passenger car. The next day, he was also charged with beating his co-conspirator, a man in his 40s named Mr. B, to death with a blunt weapon he had prepared in advance in a nearby mountain area of Eulwang-ri, Jung-gu, Incheon, and secretly burying the body nearby.

It was also investigated that Kwon Jae-chan had previously beaten and killed a pawnshop owner in Incheon in 2003, stolen 320,000 won, fled to Japan illegally by stowing away, and was later caught and served 15 years in prison.

The first trial sentenced him to death. The first trial court said, "The defendant prepared the tools for the crime in advance, sequentially killed the victims according to his purpose and intention, disposed of the bodies, destroyed evidence, and even attempted to flee abroad," and "there is no expectation of rehabilitation or recovery of humanity for the defendant."

However, the appellate court judged that regarding Kwon Jae-chan’s internet searches before the crime for terms such as 'deserted street,' 'fields in Bupyeong,' 'masked robbery,' and 'masked ATM theft,' "the timing of the searches being one month prior makes it difficult to see that he had this crime directly in mind." Regarding the charge of killing the co-conspirator who helped dispose of the body, the court also ruled that "it is difficult to recognize that the killing was planned, such as by preparing the murder weapon."

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