A man in his 40s who poured boiling water on his sleeping Thai wife's face, causing second-degree burns, has received a reduced sentence in his appeal.

The Uijeongbu District Court overturned the lower court's sentence of three years and six months in prison for the defendant, identified as A, who was indicted on charges of special injury, and sentenced him to three years instead.

A was put on trial for pouring boiling water from a kettle onto the face and neck of his 30-year-old Thai wife, B, while she was sleeping at an apartment in Howon-dong, Uijeongbu, at around 12:00 PM on December 3 of last year.

The first-instance court pointed out the cruelty of the crime and sentenced him to three years and six months, which was higher than the three-year prison term demanded by prosecutors.

A appealed the sentence, claiming it was too harsh.

The appeals court focused on the fact that the day before the crime, A had mentioned during a phone call with an acquaintance that he intended to pour boiling water on her face, and that on the day of the crime, before returning home, he used his smartphone to search the internet for "facial burn scars."

The court pointed out, "It appears he was planning the crime even before returning home, so it cannot be viewed as an impulsive act," adding, "Given the method of the crime and the injured areas, the nature of the offense is very grave."

However, the court explained its reasoning for the sentencing by stating, "The defendant reached a settlement with the victim, who is currently undergoing divorce proceedings, under conditions including the payment of 15 million won, and the victim wishes for leniency toward the defendant."

Although A received a reduced sentence in the appeals court, he remained unsatisfied with the ruling and immediately appealed to the Supreme Court.

Reported by Jung Da-eun | Video by Kim Hye-ju | Graphics by Lee Su-min | Produced by SBS Digital News