Medical student sentenced to 26 years in prison for murdering girlfriend

[Anchor]

Medical student Choi, who killed his girlfriend with a weapon he had prepared in advance, was sentenced to 26 years in prison in the first trial.

However, the victim's family requested the prosecution to appeal for the death penalty.

Reporter Kim Beom-joo has the details.

[Report]

In front of a building in Gangnam, Seoul.

An ambulance arrives after a police car.

In May, Choi killed his girlfriend on the rooftop of this building.

The reason was that she had said she wanted to break up with him.

[Building Official/May/Voice Altered: "There were one or two cars on the roadside. There were police cars and ambulances."]

The Seoul Central District Court sentenced Choi to 26 years in prison today (12.20) for murder.

The court stated, "The victim seems to have trusted and relied on Choi, but he brutally killed the victim who was in a defenseless state," explaining the reason for the heavy sentence.

Additionally, it pointed out, "The fact that he prepared the murder weapon in advance indicates a definite intent to kill," and "The method of the crime is also brutal."

Previously, the prosecution had sought the death penalty for Choi.

The victim's family requested the prosecution to appeal, stating that Choi should have received the death penalty.

About a month before the crime, Choi had registered his marriage with his girlfriend, but it was investigated that the girlfriend's parents, who found out about it late, were planning to file a lawsuit to nullify the marriage registration.

During the trial, the victim's family also claimed that Choi used their daughter to raise money to establish a hospital.

Following Choi's crime, calls for measures against so-called 'dating homicide' have increased, and there has been controversy over the disclosure of Choi's personal information on the internet.

This is KBS News, Kim Beom-joo.