Former Military Officer Yang Gwang-jun Sentenced to Life Imprisonment for Murder and Dismemberment of Mistress

[Financial News] Former military officer Yang Gwang-jun, 39, who murdered a female civilian employee with whom he was having an affair, brutally dismembered her body, and disposed of the remains, has been sentenced to life imprisonment.
According to the legal community on the 1st, the Supreme Court of Korea's second division, presided over by Justice Kwon Young-jun, upheld the previous court's ruling on Yang Gwang-jun, who was tried on charges of murder, destruction of a corpse, and concealment of a corpse, finalizing his life sentence on the 4th of last month.
On October 25, 2024, at around 3 p.m., Yang Gwang-jun strangled Ms. A, 33, during an argument in his car at his unit’s parking lot. He then dismembered her body and disposed of the remains in the Bukhan River in Hwacheon the following night.
At the time, Yang was a Lieutenant Colonel (designate) assigned to the Armed Forces Cyber Operations Command in Gwacheon. On October 28, he was transferred to a subordinate unit in Songpa District, Seoul. Ms. A was a contract civilian employee who had worked at the same unit.
Investigations revealed that on the morning of the crime, Yang and Ms. A, who were in a romantic relationship, argued while carpooling to work. Yang committed the crime to prevent their relationship from being exposed. Unlike Yang, who was married with a family, Ms. A was single.
Yang attempted to cover up the murder by sending messages from the victim’s phone to her family, acquaintances, and workplace, demonstrating a high degree of premeditation.
Yang claimed that he acted impulsively under stress after Ms. A threatened to reveal their affair. However, both the first and second trials rejected his argument and sentenced him to life imprisonment.
The Supreme Court of Korea also dismissed Yang's appeal, stating, "Considering the defendant’s age, character, environment, relationship with the victim, and the motive, means, and outcome of the crime, the lower court’s sentence of life imprisonment cannot be deemed unjust."


hwlee@fnnews.com Lee Hwan-joo Reporter