Choi Seong-woo, accused of beating a neighbor to death, has appealed the first trial ruling.
According to the legal community, Choi Seong-woo's legal representative submitted an appeal to the Seoul Northern District Court on the 12th. Choi Seong-woo's side appealed on the grounds that the 30-year prison sentence and 5-year probation imposed by the first trial court were too harsh.
Earlier, the 13th Criminal Division of the Seoul Northern District Court (Director General Lee Tae-woong) sentenced Choi Seong-woo to the aforementioned penalties for murder on the previous day. Choi Seong-woo filed an appeal just a day after the first trial ruling.
Choi Seong-woo is accused of killing a 70-year-old neighbor he accidentally encountered at a smoking area in an APT. in Jungnang-gu, Seoul, by punching the victim's face and head dozens of times and striking the victim's head with a landscaping stone. It was investigated that Choi Seong-woo committed the crime under the delusion that the victim posed a threat to him and his mother.
The court stated, "Murder infringes on the precious and dignified value of human life, and the consequences of such harm are a very serious crime that can never be recovered. The defendant killed the elderly victim, who had a significant physical disadvantage, by strangling, punching, and hitting the head with a landscaping stone for about 13 minutes, and the method and motivation for the crime are incomprehensible and brutal."
The court has noted, "Although the defendant has made statements in the investigation process that seem to apologize to the victim, there are still disputes in the content where he refers to the victim as someone who ridicules and threatens (Choi Seong-woo's) mother, which raises doubts about whether he is genuinely reflecting on his actions."
In September last year, the prosecution disclosed personal information about Choi Seong-woo, including his real name, age, and photograph, based on the decision of the Personal Information Disclosure Review Committee. The prosecution sought a life sentence for Choi Seong-woo in the first trial.