30s man who killed acquaintance with knife in Daeheung-dong sentenced to 30 years in prison, 10 years of electronic monitoring in first trial

[Financial News] A man in his 30s who fatally stabbed an acquaintance in Daeheung-dong in Seoul’s Mapo District has received a heavy sentence in the first-instance trial.
Criminal Division 12 of the Seoul Western District Court, presided over by Judge Choi Jeong-in, on the 19th sentenced Mr. Lee, 33, who was indicted on a murder charge, to 30 years in prison and ordered him to wear an electronic location-tracking device for 10 years. Prosecutors had previously sought life imprisonment.
Mr. Lee was charged with repeatedly stabbing and killing his acquaintance near a restaurant in Daeheung-dong in Mapo District at around 10:50 p.m. on August 6 last year, while they were drinking together. He allegedly acted under the influence of auditory hallucinations and delusions that the victim was trying to harm him. He was arrested at the scene as a flagrant offender, and the victim was taken to a hospital but ultimately died.
The court stated, "The victim died in extreme fear and pain after being attacked by the defendant, and that precious life can never be restored." It added, "The bereaved family, too, is in deep grief and is pleading for a severe punishment." The judges further noted, "Even though the victim was his closest friend, it is hard to see that the defendant is genuinely remorseful or sincerely seeking forgiveness from the family."
The court also emphasized the need to prevent reoffending, explaining the electronic monitoring order by saying, "It is necessary to supervise and manage the defendant after release so that he can continue to receive psychiatric treatment."
However, the court found that the defendant did not lure the victim out that day with the premeditated intent to kill. It said it took into account in sentencing that the victim had long suffered from schizophrenia and other mental illnesses, that hallucinations and delusions influenced the crime, and that this was the defendant’s first offense.
Immediately after the sentencing, members of the victim’s family cried out in anger in the courtroom, saying, "How can 30 years be enough for killing a person?" The victim’s attorney said, "We will consider an appeal in line with the family’s wishes and will actively argue the brutality of the crime in the higher court as well."
During the trial, Mr. Lee admitted all the facts of the indictment. In his final statement, he appealed for leniency, saying, "I stopped taking my medication because it was difficult to continue, and that led to the crime."
425_sama@fnnews.com Reporter Choi Seung-han Reporter