'Officetel Mother-Daughter Murder' Park Hak-seon Sentenced to Life Imprisonment in Second Trial... "Severe Punishment Needed"

Claimed "It was not planned, but a spontaneous act"
Court: "Strict punishment imposed, but death penalty remains questionable"

Park Hak-seon, suspected of murdering a mother and daughter in a Gangnam officetel. Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency

Park Hak-seon (66), who killed a woman he was dating and her daughter at an officetel located in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, was sentenced to life imprisonment again in the second trial.

On the 3rd, the Criminal Division 5 of the Seoul High Court (Chief Judge Kwon Soon-hyung) sentenced Park Hak-seon, who was tried on charges of murder, to life imprisonment, the same as in the first trial.

The court stated, "Considering the extreme mental and physical suffering the victims must have felt after being brutally murdered in an unexpected situation, it is necessary to strictly punish the crime," and added, "The bereaved families are likely to have suffered irreparable mental shock and pain."

It continued, "Considering various circumstances, including the petition for severe punishment of the defendant, it is difficult to see any reason to retroactively change the original sentence." However, regarding the prosecution's request for the death penalty, the court explained, "While there is sufficient need to punish the defendant severely, it is difficult to regard the death penalty as unquestionably justified."

During the trial, Park Hak-seon claimed, "I did not plan the crime in advance; it was a spontaneous act."

Park Hak-seon is accused of killing Ms. A, a woman in her 60s whom he was dating, and her daughter Ms. B, in their 30s, at an officetel in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on May 30. After Ms. A informed him of their breakup due to opposition from her family, he visited the victims' office, killed Ms. B first, and then killed Ms. A while she was trying to escape.

Meanwhile, the prosecution appealed after the first trial sentenced Park Hak-seon to life imprisonment, arguing that the crime was planned and malicious, and requested the death penalty in the second trial as well, but it was not accepted.

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