Prosecutors appeal to give death penalty to Lee Ki-young

Social Affairs

Prosecutors appeal to give death penalty to Lee Ki-young

Published: 24 May. 2023, 14:21 Updated: 24 May. 2023, 16:05

The 32-year-old Lee Ki-young was sentenced to life in prison on Friday for two counts of murder and body dump. [NEWS1]

Prosecutors appealed to the court to give the death penalty to Lee Ki-young, the 32-year-old sentenced by a lower court to life for murdering a taxi driver and his ex-girlfriend.

The Goyang branch of the Uijeongbu District Prosecutors' Office appealed Friday's court decision sentencing Lee to life imprisonment and demanded the death penalty for the convict Wednesday.

"Lee elaborately murdered two victims and used their money for his entertainment, showing a contempt attitude toward human life," the prosecution said in its appeal. "Integral psychological analysis revealed high-risk levels of recidivism."

The pain and grief suffered by the victims' families, anxiety and shock felt by the public and the need to defend society by preventing similar crimes all validate the maximum penalty allowed by law, it added.

The Goyang Branch of the Uijeongbu District Court on Friday sentenced Lee to life in prison for murder and body dump.

However, the court said it didn't sentence Lee to death, given that he had pleaded guilty to all of the charges and deposited 30 million won ($22,500) for the victim's family.

BY SOHN DONG-JOO [sohn.dongjoo@joongang.co.kr]