Man gets life in prison for fatal stabbing of restaurant owner over lottery ticket
Published: 09 Apr. 2026, 17:41
![A suspect in a stabbing attack that killed a restaurant owner in Suyu-dong, Gangbuk District, northern Seoul, attends a pretrial detention hearing at the Seoul Northern District Court in Seocho District, southern Seoul on Oct. 28, 2025. [NEWS1]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/04/09/b09a7dea-f140-44a9-8acc-5d05a61dd03b.jpg)
A suspect in a stabbing attack that killed a restaurant owner in Suyu-dong, Gangbuk District, northern Seoul, attends a pretrial detention hearing at the Seoul Northern District Court in Seocho District, southern Seoul on Oct. 28, 2025. [NEWS1]
The court sentenced a man to life imprisonment for fatally stabbing a restaurant owner over a 1,000 won (70 cent) lottery ticket.
The Seoul Northern District Court sentenced the perpatrator for murder and attempted murder, along with an order to wear an electronic ankle monitor for 15 years, on Thursday. The defendant was indicted over an attack that occurred on Oct. 26 of last year at a restaurant in Suyu-dong, Gangbuk District, northern Seoul, after the owner didn't give him a complimentary lottery ticket for customers.
The defendant fatally stabbed the restaurant owner and seriously injured the spouse, who tried to intervene. The defendant was arrested at the scene immediately after the crime.
“The defendant stabbed the couple multiple times, killing one and leaving the other with severe disabilities,” the court said. “The defendant must be permanently isolated from society to achieve the fundamental purpose of punishment and maintain public safety and order."
The court rejected the defendant’s claim of mental instability.
“Given the circumstances before and after the crime and the defendant’s conduct, it cannot be concluded that the defendant lacked the ability to distinguish right from wrong or make decisions at the time of the offense,” the court said.
Prosecutors sought life imprisonment during the final hearing on March 10.
“The defendant committed an act close to a so-called motiveless crime and has shown no sincere remorse,” prosecutors said. “Given the brutality of the method and the severity of the offense, a severe punishment is necessary."
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]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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