"Because of You, My Life Is Ruined": Woman in Her 60s Sentenced to 25 Years for Killing Common-Law Partner of 30 Years

Argument over Mobile Phone Bill
Court Orders 10 Years of Electronic Monitoring
Appeal Filed Against First Trial Verdict

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A woman in her 60s has been sentenced to a lengthy prison term for stabbing and killing a man in his 70s—her common-law partner of 30 years—after a heated argument.

According to the legal community on May 17, the Incheon District Court’s 13th Criminal Division (Presiding Judge Kim Gipung) sentenced Ms. A (age 62), who was indicted on murder charges, to 25 years in prison and ordered her to wear an electronic monitoring device (ankle bracelet) for 10 years following her release.

Ms. A was brought to trial on charges of fatally stabbing Mr. B (age 71), her common-law partner of 30 years, with a kitchen knife at their home in Jung-gu, Incheon, at approximately 2:31 a.m. on December 18 last year.

On the day of the incident, it was found that the two argued because they were unable to pay their mobile phone bill due to a lack of funds in their bank account.

Subsequently, Mr. B reportedly lay down on the living room floor after bringing a weapon and saying, “Because of you, I even had to sell my car and my life has become like this. Let’s both die,” at which point Ms. A took the weapon from him and committed the crime.

During the altercation, when the handle of the weapon broke, Ms. A retrieved another knife from the dining table and killed Mr. B in a brutal manner.

Investigations revealed that Ms. A and Mr. B frequently argued over Mr. B's drinking habits. In particular, their fights intensified after the victim continued to drink and smoke even after an early-stage lung cancer surgery last summer.

The court stated, “Taking a human life is an extremely serious crime that can never be tolerated,” and added, “The defendant stabbed the victim dozens of times with a knife and, when the handle broke, used another weapon to inflict fatal injuries to the heart and abdomen. The crime is extremely heinous.”

The court also explained its decision to order the electronic monitoring device, saying, “Although the defendant’s risk of reoffending was assessed as ‘moderate,’ the probation officer recommended preventive measures due to the defendant’s prior criminal record and alcohol use.”

In fact, Ms. A had two prior convictions for similar offenses, including a 2 million won fine for assault just one month before the murder, in November last year. Ms. A has reportedly struggled with controlling her emotions and behavior, often blaming memory loss from intoxication after committing assaults while drunk.

Meanwhile, Ms. A filed an appeal with the Incheon District Court on May 14, challenging the first trial verdict.

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