A man in his 60s who beat his octogenarian father to death and had an acquaintance commit perjury has had his prison sentence reduced in an appellate trial.

Yesterday, Criminal Appellate Division 3-3 of the Seoul Southern District Court (Presiding Judges Yoo Hwan-woo, Chang Yoon-sun, and Cho Kyu-seol) overturned the lower court's sentence of one year in prison for Kim, a man in his 60s indicted on charges of instigating perjury, and sentenced him to eight months in prison, according to officials.

Kim was indicted on charges of coercing an acquaintance, surnamed Je, who appeared as a witness in his first-instance trial for parricide held last year, into making a false statement.

The court pointed out, "The defendant's crime hindered the court's efforts to uncover the truth and obstructed the proper punishment of crimes," while adding, "However, we considered the fact that he has admitted to all crimes and is showing remorse as of the appellate trial, and that he has no prior record of the same offense."

Previously, Kim was sentenced to 30 years in prison in the first instance on charges of repeatedly assaulting his father—who had difficulty moving on his own—with a burlap sack, iron rods, and a flathead screwdriver over a prolonged period between late September and early October 2024, resulting in his death.

He later had his sentence reduced to 15 years in prison during the appellate trial, which was finalized as is by the Supreme Court.

(Photo: Yonhap News)