▲ Kim So-young, suspect in the 'Gangbuk Motel Serial Murders'
Kim So-young, who was indicted for the "serial drug murder case," has been sentenced to life imprisonment in the first trial.
The Seoul Northern District Court sentenced Kim, who faces charges including murder, to life imprisonment today (August 27) and ordered her to attach a location-tracking electronic device for 30 years.
Among the six victims, she was acquitted of the charge of special injury regarding one of them.
Kim has maintained the claim that she "only tried to put them to sleep and did not anticipate their deaths," but the court rejected this argument, ruling that she had the intent to commit murder.
The court stated, "While she may not have been aware of the specific risk of death initially, in the process of making multiple victims ingest drugs, she became aware through ChatGPT and other means that drugs could lead to death under certain conditions."
During a previous trial, Kim claimed that she committed the crimes to prevent physical contact, stating, "Past memories of experiencing quasi-rape surfaced, making me fearful, and I deeply reflect on my actions of handing over drugs to prevent them from touching my body."
Regarding this, the court ruled, "Judging by KakaoTalk conversations and other evidence, there were no circumstances indicating rape, and the claim that she temporarily tried to put them to sleep to defend against sexual violence by the victims cannot be accepted."
Previously, during the sentencing hearing, the prosecution demanded the death penalty for Kim, stating that she "shows no remorse for her crimes whatsoever," along with a 30-year attachment of a location-tracking electronic device and probation.
Kim was indicted and detained in March after being accused of handing drinks laced with benzodiazepine drugs to three men in their 20s from mid-December of last year to February of this year, resulting in the deaths of two and causing one to lose consciousness.
In April, she was additionally indicted on charges of inflicting injuries on three other men using a similar method.
(Photo provided by Seoul Northern District Prosecutors' Office, Yonhap News)
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