A university professor in his 60s who swung a weapon and killed his son in his 30s during an argument was sentenced to prison in the first trial.
The Criminal Division 1 of the Goyang Branch of the Uijeongbu District Court (Presiding Judge Kim Hee-su) on the 6th sentenced A, in his 60s, who was detained and indicted on a murder charge, to four years in prison. The court did not accept the prosecution's concurrent request for a probation order.
In its ruling, the court said, "Murder is a grave crime that takes a person's life, and because the harm cannot be remedied, a corresponding punishment is inevitable." However, it explained that in determining the sentence, it considered circumstances indicating the crime was committed impulsively and that A had no significant criminal record.
The court also cited as mitigating factors the long-standing conflict between father and son, their relationship before and after the incident, the victim's frequent threats, and the defendant's fulfillment of parental duties.
A was detained and brought to trial on charges of stabbing his son with a weapon and killing him at his apartment home in Ilsandong-gu, Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, at about 12:20 a.m. on Sept. 23 last year. It was found through the investigation that A had long experienced conflict with his son and, on the day of the incident, became enraged during a verbal quarrel and committed the crime.
At the sentencing hearing on the 10th of last month, the prosecution requested a seven-year prison term and a probation order, saying, "This is a serious crime of killing one's biological son, and separation from society is necessary."