Teacher Myeong Jae-wan (48), indicted on charges of murdering first-grader Kim Ha-neul (8) at an elementary school in Daejeon where he worked, was sentenced to life in prison in the first trial.
The Daejeon District Court Criminal Division 12 (Presiding Judge Kim Byung-man) on the 20th sentenced Myeong, who was indicted on charges including violating the Act on the Aggravated Punishment, etc. of Specific Crimes (abduction or luring for profit, etc.), to life in prison and ordered the attachment of a location-tracking electronic device (electronic anklet) for 30 years.
The court said, "An unprecedented case occurred in which an elementary school teacher brutally murdered a victim who was only 7 at the school where the teacher was employed," and added, "As an elementary school teacher, the teacher was in a position to protect the victim, but committed a brutal crime in which a child and youth were not protected at school, which should be the safest place."
It continued, "The defendant lured the most easily subdued, vulnerable child and vented anger," and noted, "Considering the purpose of the crime and the risk of recidivism, circumstances are recognized that the defendant must be permanently isolated from society."
However, the court explained its reason for not imposing the death penalty, saying, "While the crime cannot be justified, the defendant's crime cannot be assessed the same as a crime committed in a sound mental state," and, "Although the risk of recidivism is high, it is hard to see that a life must necessarily be taken to ensure permanent isolation." But this mental state was not recognized as a mitigating factor for the crime.
At about 5 p.m. on Feb. 10, Myeong was brought to trial on charges of luring Kim to the audiovisual room by saying "I will give you a book" as she was heading home after finishing an after-school care class at the elementary school where he worked, and then stabbing and killing her with a weapon he had prepared in advance. He is also charged with kicking and damaging a school work computer 4–5 days before the crime and assaulting a fellow teacher who said, "Let's leave work together."
It was analyzed that, as anger grew due to alienation from family conflict, regret over a hasty return to work, and poor adjustment at the workplace, Myeong committed an "aberrant motive crime," brutally murdering an elementary school student who was weaker than he was to vent that anger.
The Daejeon Metropolitan Office of Education convened a disciplinary committee on Myeong in April and decided to dismiss him, and the dismissal was finalized because Myeong did not pursue a separate appeal process.