Jang Yoon-ki, convicted of murdering a high school girl for the purpose of committing a sexual crime, has appealed his life sentence handed down by the Gwangju District Court.
According to legal sources on October 8, Jang submitted his appeal to the Gwangju District Court's Criminal Division 13 (Presiding Judge Lee Jeong-ho) the previous day. The prosecution, which sought the death penalty for Jang, also filed an appeal on October 2.
Jang was charged with killing Lee Chae-won, a girl he had never met before, on May 5 in the early hours on a street in Wolgye-dong, Gwangju. He also attacked a high school sophomore who rushed to help Lee after hearing her screams.
Additionally, Jang faces charges for raping a female co-worker two days before the murder and secretly filming a teenage girl while serving as a social service worker.
On September 30, the court found Jang guilty of violating the Sexual Violence Punishment Act (rape and murder) and sentenced him to life imprisonment. The court also ordered him to wear an electronic monitoring device and prohibited him from working in institutions related to children, adolescents, and the disabled for ten years.
The court stated, "All charges against the defendant are recognized as guilty," and affirmed the prosecution's argument that Jang should be permanently isolated from society.
In explaining the sentencing, the court noted, "Since the last execution in 1997, our country has been classified as a de facto abolitionist state regarding the death penalty. This aligns with the proportional balance of various precedents that have refrained from imposing the death penalty for a long time."
The judges also reflected on the societal consensus for severe punishment in this case, stating, "We earnestly considered whether imposing the death penalty would fulfill our duties as judges. However, we believe that ensuring Jang is never paroled and strictly enforcing the life sentence is the only way to provide some comfort to the victim and her family and to prevent similar crimes from recurring."
The family of Lee Chae-won expressed strong dissatisfaction with the ruling, stating, "We have been shattered once again by the court's decision. We cannot accept it."
Following the verdict, the family and their legal representative held a press conference, criticizing the court for not imposing the maximum penalty of death on Jang, who brutally took a life. They stated, "The hearts of the parents are still torn apart at this moment, and the court prioritized the rights of a remorseless criminal over the grief of the family."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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