Kim So-young, 20, who was sent to trial in the so-called "Gangbuk motel serial killings" case for making men in the Seoul Gangbuk-gu area drink beverages containing drugs and causing two deaths, was sentenced to life in prison in the first trial.
The Seoul Northern District Court Criminal Agreement Division 14 (Presiding Judge Oh Byung-hee) on the 27th sentenced Kim So-young, indicted on charges including murder, to life in prison and ordered her to wear a location-tracking electronic device (electronic anklet) for 30 years. Of the six victims, the court found her not guilty of aggravated assault against one person.
During the trial, Kim So-young argued that she only tried to put the victims to sleep and did not anticipate they would die. However, the court found that Kim recognized during the crime that the victims could die from the drugs and concluded she had intent to kill.
The court said, "At first, it appears she did not recognize a specific risk of death," but added, "Later, in the process of making several victims drink the drugs, she came to recognize, through ChatGPT and other means, the conditions under which the drugs could cause death."
The court also rejected the claim that Kim So-young gave the victims drugs to avoid sexual assault. The court said, "In light of the KakaoTalk chats and other evidence, there was no indication of rape, so the claim that she tried to make them sleep briefly to fend off the victims' sexual violence cannot be accepted."
The court said, "The defendant shows no remorse despite unfavorable circumstances and the surviving victim is calling for the maximum penalty," but also noted, "Her intelligence is low, and because she was abused by her mother in childhood, her upbringing was poor."
It continued, "Given that the death penalty is an exceptional punishment that deprives a person of life, it is difficult to conclude it is justified in light of the degree of responsibility," adding, "Taking into account the defendant's motive, means, outcome, and circumstances, among other sentencing factors, we will isolate her from society permanently."
Kim So-young was detained and indicted in March on charges of handing beverages containing benzodiazepine drugs to three men in their 20s from mid-December last year to February this year, causing two to die and one to lose consciousness. During the subsequent investigation, she was additionally indicted in April this year on charges of injuring three other men using a similar method.
At the sentencing hearing on the 18th, prosecutors sought the death penalty for Kim So-young. They also asked the court to order her to wear a location-tracking electronic device for 30 years and to impose probation and other measures.