Home > National > Social Affairs

Man sentenced to 27 years for stabbing wife just after restraining order ended

Published: 18 Dec. 2025, 19:12

An image of a statue of Justitia, the goddess of justice [KOREA JOONGANG DAILY]

A man who fatally stabbed his wife just a week after a court-issued restraining order expired has been sentenced to a lengthy prison term.

The Incheon District Court on Thursday sentenced a Chinese national to 27 years in prison for murder, and ordered six years of probation following his release.

“The defendant showed no remorse despite having received two extensions of a restraining order prohibiting him from approaching the victim,” said the court. It added that he deceived his wife into opening the door by claiming he needed to retrieve a laptop, then struck her about 20 times with a weapon, killing her.

“The victim died after enduring extreme pain, making the gravity of the crime particularly severe,” the court said, noting that the defendant has not received forgiveness from the victim’s family. “The sentencing also reflects the fact that he attempted to shift all responsibility onto the victim after the crime, showing poor attitude after committing the crime.”

Prosecutors had sought life imprisonment during the sentencing hearing in November.

The Korean police logo as seen on an officer's uniform [YONHAP]

Prior to killing his wife on June 19 in Incheon, the man had been subject to a temporary court order issued in December 2024 for aggravated threats, which barred him from coming within 100 meters (328 feet) of his wife and restricted contact with her. The crime occurred one week after the order expired. Police confirmed that he had visited his wife twice before the attack.

The case sparked public outrage after the suspect told reporters ahead of his pretrial detention hearing in June, “I think I did well.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JEONG JAE-HONG [[email protected]]