Prosecutors sought life imprisonment for Kim Young-woo, the perpetrator in the "Cheongju missing woman murder case," who killed his former partner and abandoned her body in a wastewater treatment tank.
At a sentencing hearing held on the 7th before the Criminal Division 22 of the Cheongju District Court, prosecutors asked the court to sentence Kim Young-woo, who was arrested and indicted on charges of murder and abandoning a corpse, to life imprisonment and to order 30 years of electronic monitoring.
When the possibility arose that he would divorce his wife, Kim Young-woo demanded meetings with the victim, his former partner. After stalking, when he learned the victim was seeing another Namsung, he allegedly stabbed her more than 10 times with a weapon and then abandoned her body.
Prosecutors emphasized, "By leaving the victim's body in wastewater for more than 40 days, the family was deprived of even the chance to see the victim's face and say goodbye."
They added, "After the crime, he meticulously evaded the investigative authorities' pursuit and acted as if he were searching for the missing victim, showing no remorse," and, "Even so, he claims the crime was impulsive to reduce his sentence."
By contrast, Kim Young-woo said he reflects on this case. Kim said, "I still cannot believe I committed something that should never have happened due to a moment of poor judgment," and, "I will not forget the victim I let go and will live the rest of my life repenting and atoning every moment."
Kim Young-woo's attorney also sought leniency, saying, "He has lived without a prior criminal record," and, "He is determined to live the rest of his life with a heart of atonement for the victim and the child."
The sentencing hearing for Kim Young-woo will be held on May 22.