The news of that day has passed, but its meaning remains with us today. "This Day in the Past" reads the present through records of the past.
Four years ago today, on August 25, 2022, a man in his 20s and former youth national boxer was convicted of killing his disabled father and then claiming it was an accident. On this day, the First Division of the Supreme Court (with Justice Roh Tae-ak as presiding judge) upheld a lower court's 10-year prison sentence for a defendant identified as A (then 22), who had been charged with murdering a lineal ascendant.
A, who had boxed during middle school and high school, beat his father (then 55) dozens of times with fists and feet after returning home drunk in January 2021, killing him. During his school years, A had taken first place in several competitions including national championships and had once been selected for the youth national team.
Locked Father in Room and Assaulted Him
On the day of the incident, A called the 112 emergency line to report that his father had died, then claimed it was an accident, saying his father "appeared to have fallen." But bruises were found across the body. An autopsy revealed broken ribs and breastbone along with ruptures in several organs, and after a five-month internal investigation, police arrested A.
The investigation found that A, who had lived alone with his father since September 2020, had confined his father — who had a disability from alcohol dependence syndrome and a brain lesion — to a room, wedging a spoon into the door handle to prevent him from getting out. A mainly fed his father cup noodles and hamburgers, and during the time they lived together never washed him or took him to a hospital.
Denied Murder Charge, but 10-Year Sentence Upheld
At the first trial, held as a citizen participation trial, all nine jurors rejected A's claim denying the murder charge. Four of them recommended a sentence of 10 to 16 years, while the remaining five said A should receive seven years.
The court condemned the act, saying that "killing a lineal ascendant is an unacceptable antisocial and inhumane crime." However, it handed down a 10-year sentence, taking into account that A had no prior criminal record and had lived with his father to care for him after the father was cut off from help by other relatives.
The appeals court upheld the same judgment. Murdering a lineal ascendant carries a heavier penalty than ordinary murder. Article 250, Paragraph 2 of the Criminal Act stipulates that a person who kills a lineal ascendant of himself or his spouse shall be punished by death, life imprisonment, or imprisonment for at least seven years.
According to the Korean National Police Agency, cases of killing or attempting to kill a lineal ascendant rose steadily over the past three years, from 48 in 2022 to 59 in 2023 and 60 in 2024. Experts agree that it is urgent to develop policies to address "care blind spots," such as sole-caregiver burdens and gaps in care.
