Man in His 30s Denies Murder Charge at First Trial for 'Dumoolmeori Body Abandonment' Case

Admits to Assault and Abandonment but Claims "Did Not Expect Death"
Prosecution: "Used Victim with Poor Judgment as an Outlet for Anger"

A man in his 30s, who was indicted and detained on charges of murdering a cohabitant acquaintance and abandoning the body, denied the murder charge at his first trial. He argued that he could not have anticipated the victim's death.

At the first hearing held on May 7 at the Criminal Division 14 of the Seoul Northern District Court (Presiding Judge Oh Byunghee), the attorney for Mr. Seong (35), who was indicted on charges including murder and abandonment of a corpse, stated, "We admit to the charges of assault and abandoning a corpse." However, he added, "The defendant did not expect the victim to die and had no intention to commit murder." He further noted, "The victim was also not in a mental state to be completely controlled by the defendant’s will."

Seoul Northern District Court, Dobong-gu, Seoul. Photo by Hosoo Park

In court, the prosecution argued that Mr. Seong had repeatedly assaulted the victim—who lacked sound judgment and struggled with social life—using him as an outlet for anger, and ultimately killed him. The prosecution insisted that a severe punishment was necessary.

Mr. Seong is on trial for strangling and killing Mr. Lee, a man in his 30s who lived with him at an apartment in Gangbuk-gu, Seoul, on January 14 of this year, and then abandoning the body at Dumoolmeori on the Namhan River in Yangpyeong-gun, Gyeonggi Province. Prosecutors believe the crime took place during a dispute over financial issues.

The court plans to verify the relationship between the victim and the defendant, as well as the circumstances of the death, through witness and defendant questioning as requested by the prosecution. The next hearing is scheduled for 3 p.m. on June 9.

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