A man in his 70s has been sentenced to a lengthy prison term for murdering his older brother with a weapon during a dispute over property.

On July 9, the Changwon District Court Criminal Division 2 (Presiding Judge Kim Seong-hwan) sentenced the defendant, identified as A, to 20 years in prison.

A was arrested and indicted on charges of murdering his older brother, B, also in his 70s, with a weapon at a house in Hwamok-dong, Gimhae, Gyeongsangnam-do, this past January.

Investigations revealed that the crime occurred during an argument after B refused A's demand for 40 million won from the compensation money expected for land inherited from their late father.

It was determined that B had inherited the land in Gimhae from their father and was set to receive a significant amount of compensation due to a negotiated purchase by the road construction authority.

During the trial, A argued that he had no intention of killing B and claimed that his actions constituted self-defense against B's assault.

The court rejected this claim, citing A's criminal record—which includes a 2015 conviction of six months in prison suspended for two years for threatening an apartment security guard with a weapon—and the fact that A struck B dozens of times with the weapon during the murder.

The court stated, "B pleaded for his life just before he died, but the defendant took no action to help him. Immediately after the crime, the defendant focused on destroying evidence, such as wiping bloodstains off the weapon." The court added, "The defendant has not been forgiven by the victim's bereaved family and has shown no signs of sincere remorse."

The court further explained the sentencing, saying, "It is appropriate to isolate the defendant from society for a long period to reflect and atone for his crime, which corresponds to the gravity of his guilt," while noting that "the fact that the defendant turned himself in to investigative authorities the day after the crime was considered a mitigating factor."

Upon hearing the heavy sentence, A appeared to be in shock; he collapsed and screamed before being led out of the courtroom by court officials.

(Photo: Yonhap News)