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Top court finalizes life sentence for teacher who murdered first grader in Daejeon

Published: 02 Apr. 2026, 13:10 Updated: 02 Apr. 2026, 18:15

Myeong Jae-wan, who fatally stabbed a seven-year-old at an elementary school in Daejeon on Feb. 10, 2025, is seen in this photo provided by police [DAEJEON METROPOLITAN POLICE]

The Supreme Court finalized on Thursday a life sentence for an elementary school teacher who murdered a first-grade student at an elementary school in Daejeon.

The Supreme Court upheld the lower court’s decision to sentence the teacher, Myeong Jae-wan, to life in prison under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes. The court also maintained an order requiring her to wear an electronic tracking device for 30 years. The tracking device would be placed on Myeong if she ever receives parole.

Myeong was found to have lured the victim — a first-grade student returning home after an after-school care program in February last year — into an audiovisual room by saying, “I’ll give you a book,” before killing the child with a weapon. It was also revealed that she had damaged school property and assaulted a colleague prior to the crime.

During the trial, Myeong admitted to the crime but argued that she had been in a state of diminished capacity. The court rejected this claim, noting that she had planned and carried out the crime in advance and attempted to conceal it afterward, and concluded that Myeong was fully capable and responsible.

Both the first and second trials sentenced Myeong to life imprisonment, considering the severity and brutality of the crime. The Supreme Court found no error in the lower courts’ reasoning and finalized the sentence.

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]]