Overview

• The Seoul Southern District Court delivered the murder sentence on Thursday, rejecting prosecutors’ request for supervised probation after they had sought life imprisonment.
• Prosecutors said Seo strangled his wife on March 13 at their home in Seoul’s Gangseo District, then called police and arranged the funeral before being arrested at the funeral home the next day.
• Seo initially denied involvement but confessed when confronted with medical evidence of neck marks, telling investigators the killing was an impulsive act while drunk.
• Investigators reported that he repeatedly pressured his wife for sex during pregnancy and after a miscarriage and ectopic-surgery recovery, and that his anger escalated after she said she wanted a divorce.
• The court criticized his efforts to minimize and conceal the crime and noted the victim’s family had not forgiven him and had petitioned for severe punishment.