Medical Student in 'Gangnam Station Dating Murder' Case Sentenced to 30 Years by Supreme Court: "Killed Mercilessly"

26 Years in First Trial, 30 Years in Appeal, Supreme Court Finalizes Sentence
"Questionable Whether There Was Even Minimum Respect for the Victim"
Victim's Family Files Additional Complaint for Mutilation of Corpse

Choi, a medical student accused of stabbing and killing his girlfriend near Gangnam Station in Seoul in May last year, has been sentenced to 26 years in prison by the Supreme Court.

Choi, a medical student in his 20s, is accused of murdering his girlfriend with a weapon on the rooftop of a building near Gangnam Station. Photo by Yonhap News

On September 11, the First Division of the Supreme Court, presided over by Justice Noh Taeak, upheld the lower court's ruling in the appeal trial, confirming the sentence of 26 years in prison and five years of probation for Choi, who was indicted on charges including murder.

The Supreme Court stated, "Considering various factors that determine sentencing, such as the defendant's age, character, environment, relationship with the victim, the motive, means, and outcome of the crime, and circumstances after the crime as shown in the records, it cannot be said that the sentence of 30 years in prison was unjust."

Choi, who was a fourth-year medical student at a university in Seoul, was arrested and indicted for stabbing his girlfriend, identified as A, dozens of times with a weapon on the rooftop of a building near Gangnam Station on May 6 last year.

In April last year, Choi registered a marriage with A without informing her or her parents. When A's family later found out, they filed a lawsuit to annul the marriage. It was revealed that Choi planned the crime after hearing from A's family that they would send a petition to his medical school, which made him fear losing his academic standing through disciplinary action.

The court of first instance sentenced Choi to 26 years in prison. However, in June, the appellate court imposed a harsher sentence of 30 years in prison and five years of probation. The appellate court stated, "Given the defendant's actions, it is questionable whether he had even the minimum respect for the victim," and added, "It is impossible to fathom the pain, fear, sorrow, and despair the victim must have felt in her final moments after being brutally murdered."

Both Choi and the prosecution appealed, but the Supreme Court found no fault in the lower court's decision and dismissed the appeals.

Meanwhile, in June, the victim's family filed an additional complaint against Choi for destruction of a corpse, arguing that it was unjust for him to be indicted only for murder. On the other hand, Choi reportedly submitted a statement of appeal to the Supreme Court, citing his organ donation pledge and a letter of remorse as grounds for a reduced sentence.