Kim So-young, indicted for the "Gangbuk motel serial murder" case, has been sentenced to life imprisonment in the first trial.
The 14th Criminal Division of the Seoul Northern District Court sentenced Kim, who faces charges including murder, to life imprisonment and ordered the attachment of a location-tracking electronic device for 30 years.
The court acquitted Kim of the special injury charge regarding one of the six victims.
Kim had claimed that she "only intended to make them sleep and did not expect death," but the court rejected this argument, ruling that Kim had the intent to commit murder.
The court stated, "Although it appears she may not have initially recognized the specific risk of death, through the process of making multiple subsequent victims ingest drugs, she used ChatGPT and other means to recognize the conditions under which drugs could lead to death."
During a previous trial, Kim claimed she committed the acts to prevent physical contact, stating, "Past memories of a quasi-rape incident surfaced, causing me to feel frightened, and I deeply reflect on my actions of handing over drugs to prevent them from touching my body."
In response, the court ruled, "Looking at KakaoTalk conversations and other evidence, there are no circumstances indicating attempted rape, so the argument that she temporarily tried to put the victims to sleep to defend against sexual violence cannot be accepted."
Previously, during the sentencing hearing, the prosecution demanded the death penalty for Kim, stating, "She is showing no remorse whatsoever for her crimes."
Kim was detained and indicted on charges of handing drinks laced with benzodiazepine drugs to three men in their 20s from mid-December last year to February this year, resulting in the deaths of two and leaving one unconscious.
In April, she was additionally indicted on charges of inflicting injuries on three other men using a similar method.
Reported by Kim Jiuk | Video by Seo Byeong-wook | Graphics by Yang Hye-min | Produced by SBS Digital News
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