Korean man, 23, who murdered girl, 16, after attempting to rape her, gets life in jail, family calls for death penalty instead
The man was also charged with attacking a male student who ran over upon hearing the girl scream.
A South Korean man, 23-year-old Jang Yoon Gi, has been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of a 16-year-old high school student after attempting to kidnap her with the intent to sexually assault her, according to local news outlet The Korea Times. The incident occurred around 12:10 am on a deserted walkway in Wolgye-dong, Gwangju's Gwangsan District, reported Korea JoongAng Daily.
Jang was also charged with attacking another male student who happened to be nearby. In addition to the murder charge, he faced other sex-related offenses, including stalking and secretly filming a teenage girl. Prosecutors sought the death penalty, which is a possibility under South Korean law for Jang's crime. However, the court ultimately decided on life imprisonment for him.
Jang admitted to all the charges in court and expressed remorse, submitting three letters to the court. He was ordered to wear an electronic ankle monitor and barred from working at institutions for children, adolescents, and people with disabilities for a decade after his release. The victim's family staged a one-person protest during the sentencing, calling for the maximum penalty allowed by law and submitted a petition with around 100,000 signatures.
A family member stated that the ruling has "killed our family once more." The court found Jang guilty on all charges and agreed with the prosecution's argument that isolating him from society permanently was reasonable. South Korea has not performed an execution since December 1997.
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