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Court upholds 20-year sentence for man who fatally stabbed acquaintance

Published: 12 Feb. 2026, 08:04

A person holding a knife. Image is unrelated to the story. [GETTY IMAGES BANK]

An appeals court upheld a 20-year prison sentence for a man convicted of fatally stabbing an acquaintance, rejecting all arguments presented, legal officials said Wednesday.

The Gwangju High Court dismissed appeals filed by both the defendant and prosecution — which is permitted under Korean law to seek a review by a higher court over disagreements on the ruling or sentencing — leaving intact the sentence handed down in the first trial.

The man was indicted for fatally stabbing the victim at a pier in Yeosu, South Jeolla at around 10:20 p.m. on July 2 of last year. The two had known each other through work.

Investigators said the defendant attacked the victim after the victim failed to follow an admonition to “be polite” to the victim’s father.

Court records show the man had previously assaulted the same victim in 2018 with a blunt object and received a one-year prison sentence, suspended for two years. Despite that conviction, the two remained in contact.

During the appeal, prosecutors pointed to a letter the defendant submitted to the court in which he questioned whether killing someone after drinking was “such a serious misdeed,” arguing that the remark would further distress the victim’s family and sought a harsher punishment.

“The motive and method were brutal, and the defendant made no effort to comfort the bereaved,” said the court.

The judges, however, also cited mitigating factors. They said the crime was not premeditated and noted that the defendant called emergency services after the attack. The court concluded that the original 20-year sentence was appropriate.

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 JANG GU-SEUL [[email protected]]