A man in his 50s accused of carrying out a knife rampage at a restaurant in Gangbuk District, Seoul, and killing the owner was sentenced to life imprisonment.
The Criminal Agreement Division 14 of the Seoul Northern District Court (Presiding Judge Oh Byung-hee) on Jan. 9 sentenced a person surnamed Kim, 59, who was indicted and detained on charges of murder and attempted murder, to life imprisonment. The court also ordered 15 years of electronic monitoring, citing a considerable risk of reoffending.
The court said, "The defendant picked a fight with the owner couple and launched a brutal attack after being told he would not get a 1,000-won lotto ticket," adding, "There is a need to isolate the defendant permanently to maintain public safety and order."
Kim's side argued diminished mental capacity, but the court did not accept it. The court added, "It is acknowledged that the defendant has a history of psychiatric treatment for insomnia and depression and that drugs were detected in a urine test," but "considering the circumstances and words and actions before and after the crime, it is difficult to see that the defendant was in a state of impaired decision-making ability."
According to the prosecution, Kim visited a restaurant in Suyu-dong, Gangbuk District, as a customer on Oct. 26 last year. He then argued with the owner on the grounds that he did not receive the "1,000-won lottery ticket" provided for cash payments. He was brought to trial on charges of brandishing a camping knife at the owner couple while causing a disturbance. The wife, a woman in her 60s, was taken to a hospital with serious injuries but eventually died.
At the sentencing hearing on Mar. 10, the prosecution said that although Kim committed a crime close to a so-called "indiscriminate attack," he did not show sincere remorse. The prosecution asked the court to impose life imprisonment, 30 years of location-tracking electronic monitoring, and an order for probation.