'Gangnam Abduction and Murder' Lee Kyung-woo and Hwang Dae-han Sentenced to Life Imprisonment... Yeon Ji-ho Receives 25 Years Imprisonment (Comprehensive)

The main perpetrators of the 'Gangnam kidnapping and murder' case were sentenced to life imprisonment.

On the 25th, the Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 29 (Presiding Judge Kim Seung-jung) sentenced the main suspects, Lee Kyung-woo (36) and Hwang Dae-han (36), who were detained and prosecuted on charges of robbery and murder, to life imprisonment.

A trio arrested for kidnapping, murdering, and disposing of the body of a woman in her 40s in Gangnam, Seoul, is being transferred from Seoul Suseo Police Station to the prosecution on the afternoon of April 9. From left to right: Lee Kyung-woo, Hwang Dae-han, Yeon Ji-ho.

The court stated, "It is recognized that Lee Kyung-woo, Hwang Dae-han, and Yeon Ji-ho conspired with the intent to rob and murder the victim."

It added, "Considering that the woman weighed only 44 kg and the strong men kidnapped her late at night, it does not seem necessary to move to a mountain or dig a pit. Even if death caused by drugs was unintended, broadly speaking, the intent to kill was realized."

Furthermore, "They planned to kidnap the victim and her spouse, use their mobile phones to steal cryptocurrency, and after long-term stalking and waiting for an opportunity, committed the crime. Lee Kyung-woo and Hwang Dae-han deny the intent to kill and try to shift responsibility by claiming they did not propose the initial crime, raising serious doubts about their sincere remorse," the court pointed out.

It continued, "It is difficult to imagine the fear and pain of the victim who was kidnapped by strangers in the middle of Seoul late at night, dragged to a mountain, and murdered. The victim's family is deeply shocked and suffering greatly from the victim's death, pleading for severe punishment of the defendants."

Additionally, the court said, "The lifelong loneliness and sense of loss felt by the victim's elementary school-aged son are difficult for anyone to heal. The victim's son currently believes his mother died from COVID-19, but if he ever realizes that his mother was murdered, the shock he would feel is unimaginable," it added.

Wealthy couple Yoo Sang-won and Hwang Eun-hee, identified as the masterminds behind the abduction and murder of a woman in her 40s in Gangnam, Seoul, were transferred from the Suseo Police Station in Seoul to the prosecution on the morning of April 13.

The court sentenced Yeon Ji-ho (30), an accomplice who participated in the kidnapping and murder but confessed to the crime, to 25 years in prison. For the couple Yoo Sang-won (51) and Hwang Eun-hee (49), who were detained and prosecuted for conspiring with Lee Kyung-woo in the kidnapping and murder and providing criminal funds, the court acquitted them of murder charges, stating, "It is difficult to recognize that they conspired in advance to kill with Lee Kyung-woo," and sentenced them to 8 years and 6 years in prison, respectively.

However, the court criticized the couple, saying, "They actively participated in the robbery by providing security to Lee Kyung-woo and directly engaging in searching for cryptocurrency after kidnapping the victim. Yet, they acted as if they were victims who were deceived by Lee Kyung-woo and showed no genuine remorse."

Also, the court sentenced Lee Kyung-woo's wife, Heo Mo, who was investigated for stealing and providing psychotropic drugs used in the murder from the hospital where she worked as a nursing assistant, and Lee Mo, an acquaintance of Hwang Dae-han who assisted in tracking the victim's movements, to 5 years in prison each.

However, the court acquitted Hwang Dae-han and Yeon Ji-ho of violating the Narcotics Control Act for administering ketamine to the victim, accepting their claim that they believed it was only an anesthetic. Lee Kyung-woo, Hwang Dae-han, and Yeon Ji-ho were also placed under a 5-year probation order.

Lee Kyung-woo, Hwang Dae-han, and Yeon Ji-ho were detained and prosecuted on charges of robbery and murder, attempted robbery, and corpse disposal after kidnapping victim A in Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, by car around 11:46 p.m. on March 29, murdering her the next morning, and secretly burying her in a mountain near Daecheong Dam in Daejeon.

The couple Yoo Sang-won and Hwang Eun-hee, who were also detained and prosecuted, are accused of providing 70 million won in criminal funds following a conflict with victim A over failed cryptocurrency investments and Lee Kyung-woo's proposal last September to kidnap A, steal cryptocurrency, and murder her.

At the sentencing hearing held on the 16th, the prosecution requested the death penalty for Lee Kyung-woo, Hwang Dae-han, and the couple Yoo Sang-won and Hwang Eun-hee, and life imprisonment for accomplice Yeon Ji-ho. The prosecution also requested 5 years and 7 years imprisonment for Heo and Lee, respectively.

The court explained the reason for not sentencing the death penalty, stating, "Although the prosecution requested the death penalty, the death sentence, which permanently deprives human life, should only be exceptionally allowed when there are clear objective circumstances that anyone would recognize as special reasons justifying it in light of the degree of responsibility for the crime and the purpose of punishment."

When the sentence was lighter than the prosecution's request, the victim's family strongly protested and wept in court.

The victim's younger brother said, "This is an absurd result. The death penalty should be imposed unconditionally. The family does not forgive, so I don't understand why the court forgives," he said.

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