Seoul Court Sentences Man to 25 Years for Wife's Murder After Miscarriage

A Seoul court sentenced a 35-year-old man surnamed Seo to 25 years in prison for murdering his wife three months after their marriage because she refused to have sex with him. The court found that Seo strangled his wife while she was incapacitated by alcohol and sleeping pills at their home and that he exploited her weakened condition following a miscarriage and surgery. Despite her condition and repeated refusals, Seo continued to pressure her for sex, and his rage intensified when she expressed a desire for divorce and regret about the marriage. After the murder, Seo attempted to conceal the crime by deleting security footage and changing phone passwords, then acted as chief mourner at her funeral before being arrested. The court condemned Seo's attempts to minimize and deny responsibility, highlighting the deep pain inflicted on the victim’s family. Prosecutors’ request for probation was dismissed, and the court emphasized the brutality of the crime in what should have been a safe and peaceful place.