Prosecutors seek death penalty for 4 in kidnap-murder case

Prosecutors have requested the death penalty for Lee Kyeong-woo (36) and his accomplice Hwang Dae-han (36), as well as for the couple Yoo Sang-won (51) and Hwang Eun-hee (49), who provided the money to be used in the crime. They have demanded a life sentence for Yeon Ji-ho (30), another accomplice.

“Murder by robbery stipulates that a murderer be punished by death or imprisonment for an indefinite term as per the law,” prosecutors argued during the final hearing held at Seoul Central District Court on Monday. “The process, method, and cruelty of the crime were repeatedly unveiled during the trials.”

The three suspects, Lee, Hwang, and Yeon, were indicted for kidnapping a 48-year-old woman in Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam District, on March 29, killing her the following day, and burying her body on a hill near Daecheong Dam in Daejeon. The couple reportedly conflicted with the victim over the failure of cryptocurrency investment and gave money to Lee, who proposed taking the victim's virtual assets and killing her.

Prosecutors asked for a five-year sentence for Lee's wife, Heo, and a seven-year sentence for Hwang’s acquaintance, Lee. Heo allegedly stole psychotropic drugs used in the murder from the hospital where she worked as a nursing assistant and provided them to the murderers. Lee was accused of assisting in the crime, including identifying the victim's whereabouts.


blick@donga.com