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| Kim Seong-soo, the man who stabbed a part-time worker to death at an internet cafe in Seoul last year, answers reporters' questions outside Seoul Yangcheon Police Station, western Seoul, in this Nov. 21 photo. Yonhap |
By Lee Suh-yoon
A Seoul court handed down a 30 year jail term to Kim Seong-soo, who brutally stabbed a young part-time worker to death at an internet cafe last year, Tuesday.
The Seoul Southern District Court ruled it was necessary for Kim ― "a dangerous menace" according to the judges ― to be separated from society. Kim was also ordered to wear an electronic tag for 10 years after his release.
"His actions were aggressive and cruel beyond belief, revealing his extreme disdain for life," the judge panel said.
It said Kim did not stop the attack until police officers came and suppressed him, causing great shock and fear to the witnesses and the general public. "The bereaved family will have to live with despair and the feeling of loss, and they call for stern punishment. It is necessary for him to be separated from society until he truly regrets and atones for his actions," the panel said.
Kim, 30, was arrested last October at an internet cafe in Gangseo-gu, western Seoul, where he knocked over a part-time employee and stabbed him in the face and body over 80 times. The worker, a 20-year-old surnamed Shin, died three hours later in the hospital due to excessive blood loss. Police said Kim and Shin exchanged heated words over "bad cleaning service" shortly before the incident.
Earlier, the prosecution demanded a death sentence for Kim. The ruling, however, reduced the punishment to 30 years as Kim held no prior criminal record and showed signs of atonement during the trial.
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| Citizens leave notes and flowers for Shin in front of the internet cafe, in this Oct. 2 photo. Yonhap |
Kim's brother, first suspected of helping his brother overpower Shin, was cleared of charges. The judges concluded the brother's actions, such as pulling at the victim's waist in the scuffle caught on CCTV footage, could be seen as a move to stop the fight rather than aid the murder.
The case deeply shocked the public. Over a million people signed an online petition calling for stern punishment, saying Kim should not be let off the hook for his reported mental health issues. During the police investigation, Kim submitted medical records of his depression diagnosis.
Shortly after Shin's death, the National Assembly passed an amendment that no longer made it mandatory for judges to reduce sentences of perpetrators considered "mentally unfit" at the time of the crime due to mental illness or the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Kim Ho-in, the lawyer representing the victim's family, said in interviews with local media the ruling was unfair.
"We were thinking at least a life sentence," Kim said. "It's an unacceptable ruling. How can the victim's family and the general public live in peace with such horrific crimes happening around them?"
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