Park Dae-sung, the man who stabbed and killed an 18-year-old girl he encountered on the streets of Suncheon, has been sentenced to life imprisonment in the first trial. The Gwangju District Court Suncheon Branch Criminal Division 1 delivered the verdict on Thursday, convicting Park of murder and preparation for murder. In addition to life imprisonment, Park was ordered to undergo 20 years of electronic monitoring, adhere to a nighttime curfew from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., and refrain from consuming alcohol with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.03 percent or higher.
The court highlighted the tragic impact of Park’s actions, stating, “Park deprived the 18-year-old victim of the opportunity to pursue her dreams, killing her as she was preparing to take her first steps into society. The fear and helplessness she must have experienced cannot be expressed in words.” The court also criticized Park’s lack of remorse, noting that he responded to investigators’ questions with laughter and jokes. The crime was deemed premeditated, as Park had prepared the weapon in advance and specifically targeted the victim.
On the night of September 26, last year, Park followed the victim for approximately 800 meters in Jorye-dong, Suncheon, South Jeolla Province, before fatally stabbing her around 12:44 a.m. He was also accused of attempting further killings at nearby bars and karaoke establishments.
The victim’s father expressed his heartbreak at the verdict, saying, “My heart is broken at the verdict of a life sentence. The murderer should have been sentenced to death to prevent further victims.” Prosecutors have stated they will review the judgment and decide whether to file an appeal.
