<Anchor> The
second trial court sentenced a man in his 20s to life imprisonment in the first trial for killing a fellow inmate in prison.
As he committed a serious crime, the judge said it was his responsibility as a judge to sentence the court to the maximum sentence.
This is TJB Yang Jeong-jin, reporter.
<Reporter>
After killing a man in his 40s with a blunt weapon, a 28-year-old man became a prisoner after stealing 100 bucks of gold.
Mr. A was sentenced to life imprisonment in the first trial for repeatedly assaulting and killing a fellow inmate in his 40s at Gongju Prison in 2021.
As if conscious of public opinion, the judgment of the second trial was different.
He was sentenced to the death penalty, the highest court sentence.
The judge explained the reason for the sentencing, saying, "It is difficult to find a precedent for a prisoner sentenced to life imprisonment to kill a fellow prisoner, and it is questionable whether there is a high possibility of reeducation.
The victim's family welcomed the court's decision.
[Victim's younger brother: The 2nd trial court seems to have given a proper verdict, so I think the brother's resentment will be relieved a little bit.]
The last time the death penalty was confirmed by the Supreme Court was the 2016 GOP shooting spree by Byeong-Jang Lim.
However, no actual executions have been carried out since 1997.
Currently, the abolition of the death penalty is being ruled unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court for the third time, following 1996 and 2010.
This ruling is expected to further fuel the debate between the demand for the abolition of the death penalty and the need to revive executions to prevent the recurrence of crimes.
(Video coverage: Park Geum-sang TJB)