Death penalty sought for Korea's 'Sindang Station stalker killer'

Jeon Joo-hwan, the 32-year-old suspect in the subway murder case, is transferred from Seoul Namdaemun Police Station to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office on Sept. 21, 2022. [NEWS1]

Prosecutors on Tuesday demanded the death penalty for Jeon Joo-hwan, who was sentenced to nine years in prison last September for stalking and illegally filming the woman he is charged with murdering.

The 32-year-old is known as the “Sindang Station stalker killer." Jeon appealed the Seoul Western District Court’s nine-year prison term last October. The court has also ordered an additional 80 hours of treatment for stalking and 40 hours of sexual offense treatment programs in its verdict last year.

During a hearing at the Seoul Central District Court on Tuesday, the prosecution asked the court for the death penalty for Jeon and demanded he wears an electronic device to track his location for 30 years.

“There is a high possibility that Jeon will commit extreme crimes like murder in the future since he tends to become very egocentric when he feels anger against others,” the prosecutor said.

“It is inevitable to sentence the heaviest penalty to prevent similar crimes and ask for strict responsibility even after carefully going through the sentencing standards for death penalty.”

His sentencing hearing will be held on Feb. 7.

Jeon, a Seoul Metro employee, was apprehended after a female colleague was fatally stabbed in the ladies room in Sindang Station on Line No. 2 on Sept. 14 last year, one day before a verdict was expected in his trial for stalking the victim.

He admitted he had committed the crime out of “resentment against the victim.”

Police disclosed the name, photo and birthdate of Jeon on Sept. 19 last year in accordance with the Special Act on the Punishment of Specific Violent Crimes.

Under it, personal information of criminals can be disclosed if the crime’s cruelty, gravity and the people's right to know are satisfied. Ordinarily, suspects' names and ages are not disclosed and photos are not made public.

BY CHO JUNG-WOO [cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr]