Japanese Prosecutors Seek 20-Year Prison Sentence for South Korean Man Accused of Stalking Murder

▲ A South Korean man in his 30s charged with murdering his former South Korean girlfriend in Tokyo, Japan

Japanese prosecutors demanded a 20-year prison sentence today (31st) for a 31-year-old South Korean national, identified by his surname Park, who was arrested on charges of murdering his former South Korean girlfriend in Tokyo last year.

According to Japanese prosecutors, the defendant Park is accused of waiting for his 40-year-old South Korean girlfriend in a residential area of Setagaya Ward, Tokyo, in September of last year and murdering her with a weapon.

He is also accused of stalking the victim by visiting her home multiple times just before the incident.

During the trial held at the Tokyo District Court today, the victim's older sister submitted a statement calling for a severe punishment, stating, "My sister must have thought about how to escape from the defendant until the very last moment of her life," and adding, "An unbearable scar remains in the hearts of her family members."

However, the defense counsel for Park argued that he was not guilty of the murder charge, claiming, "It is possible that the weapon penetrated unintentionally as their bodies struggled and their positioning collapsed."

Explaining the reason for the sentencing demand, the prosecutors stated, "The defendant's statement that he had no intent to commit murder does not align with the depth of the wounds and other evidence," and added, "The pain and anguish suffered by the victim, who was murdered at the end of a stalking ordeal, are beyond measure."

The sentencing is scheduled to take place on the 4th.

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