Jeong Yoo-jeong Applies as Witness for Grandfather... A Strategy Aimed at Sentence Reduction?

"Abandoning the Body for the Bereaved" "Believed in Reincarnation," Statement
Sentencing May Vary Depending on Remorse

Jeong Yoo-jeong, who was indicted for murdering a peer woman she met through a tutoring app and mutilating and abandoning the body, made absurd statements such as "I thought I would be reincarnated" during her second trial on the 16th, and requested her grandfather as a witness. Analysts suggest this was likely an attempt to use it as a mitigating factor for sentencing.

During the witness examination held that day, Jeong Yoo-jeong's grandfather testified about her depression and family environment. He stated that when Jeong Yoo-jeong was in middle school and became a high school student, she showed significantly different behavior, such as throwing objects, which led the local district office official to recommend a depression test. He said, "They said she appeared to have severe depression, but due to her refusal, she did not undergo testing or treatment, so the murder could not be prevented."

He added, "These days, she cannot sleep. There is no way to contact the victim's family, and although I requested the police, the other party refused, so even if I want to apologize, I cannot," and said, "I apologize."

Jeong Yoo-jeong's request to call her grandfather as a witness appears to be an effort to use the credibility of her family environment testimony as a mitigating factor for sentencing. Attorney Park Seong-bae said, "Usually, the defense requests witness examination of a grandfather to use it as a mitigating factor for sentencing, and the court accepted this."

A photo of Jeong Yujeong (23 years old) released by the Busan Metropolitan Police Agency on June 1st after a personal information disclosure review committee. Jeong Yujeong was arrested on charges of murdering a woman in her 20s whom she met through an online tutoring app and disposing of the body. [Image provided by Busan Metropolitan Police Agency] [Image source: Yonhap News]

On the 17th, Attorney Park said on YTN News Live, "This case is a murder without any particular reason, a type of murder with a blameworthy motive, so it inevitably results in a harsher sentence than ordinary murder cases," adding, "The most important sentencing factors are whether the murder was premeditated, whether cruel methods were used, whether the body was mutilated, and whether there is remorse. Even if we listen to Jeong Yoo-jeong's explanation, there seems to be no room to deny these."

He continued, "However, from the court's perspective, while a harsh sentence should be imposed for a murder without any particular reason, there clearly seems to be room to consider her upbringing as a mitigating factor," and added, "If she sincerely repents, it could be considered to some extent as a mitigating factor for sentencing."

In other words, if Jeong Yoo-jeong shows a sincere attitude of remorse, the sentence could vary between imprisonment or life imprisonment depending on the court. Attorney Park explained, "It was a situation where a random murder was committed without any reason, not only a premeditated murder but also using very cruel methods, mutilating the body, and failing to provide any reasonable justification, so life imprisonment should be the appropriate sentence. However, depending on the court, there is a possibility of a fixed-term imprisonment sentence."

On that day, Jeong Yoo-jeong made absurd statements in court such as "I abandoned the body for the victim's family," "I tried to die together," and "I thought I would be reincarnated." If she continues to defend herself with such sophistry, it will be difficult for the court to see her as genuinely remorseful.

Meanwhile, the third trial for Jeong Yoo-jeong is scheduled for the 6th of next month.

Jeong Yoo-jeong was indicted for murdering the victim after visiting the victim's house while pretending to be a middle school student looking for a tutoring teacher on May 26, and for mutilating and abandoning the body.

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