Father of 'Samurai Sword Killer' Given Suspended Sentence Again in Appeal for Defaming Victim

The Seoul Western District Court's Criminal Appeals Division 2-3 (Presiding Judges Lee Dong-shik, Jung Sung-kyun, and Lee Hyun-woo) dismissed the appeals filed by both the prosecution and the defendant today (27th), upholding the lower court's sentence of one year in prison suspended for two years for a 70-year-old man surnamed Baek, who was indicted on charges of defamation of the deceased.

This comes exactly one year after the first-instance sentencing.

Baek is accused of writing internet comments 23 times between August and September 2024, defending his son's crime by claiming that the victim of the samurai sword murder was a Chinese spy.

Baek's son swung a 102-centimeter-long sword at a male neighbor at an apartment building in Eunpyeong District in July 2024, killing him, and was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Supreme Court in October of last year.

The court rejected Baek's argument that he lacked the intent to defame, explaining that, in light of various circumstances, the sentence determined by the lower court was neither too heavy nor too light.

The first-instance court found that Baek's comments, such as claiming the victim was a Chinese spy, implicitly suggested false facts and impaired the victim's social standing. However, it handed down a suspended sentence taking into consideration that the contents were unrealistic and unlikely to be taken literally by the general public.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.