Life Sentence Confirmed for Kim Dong-won in 'Pizza Shop Stabbing' Case; Appeal Withdrawn

A life sentence has been finalized for 42-year-old Kim Dong-won, who stood trial on charges of murdering three people at a pizza shop in Gwanak-gu, Seoul.

Legal sources stated today (June 22) that since neither Kim nor the prosecution filed an appeal within the legal deadline, the appellate court's ruling from the 19th has been upheld.

Previously, on the 11th, the Seoul High Court's Criminal Division 3 sentenced Kim to life imprisonment, the same sentence handed down in the first trial, on charges of murder.

The court emphasized that murder can never be justified under any circumstances.

The court further explained that while it appears Kim was under stress due to interior defects, the murders cannot be understood by social standards, and therefore, it is difficult to consider them as mitigating factors.

The prosecution had requested the death penalty in both the first and second trials.

However, the court stated that it took into account factors such as Kim admitting to the crime and expressing remorse.

The court added that it did not find any exceptional circumstances beyond doubt that would justify the death penalty.

Kim was indicted for murdering three people—a franchise headquarters employee and a father and daughter who were interior contractors—with a weapon he had hidden in advance at the pizza shop he operated in Jowon-dong, Gwanak-gu, last September.

Investigations revealed that Kim, who had been running the franchise store since October 2023, committed the crime out of resentment after the headquarters and the interior company refused to provide free repairs, citing that the warranty period had expired.
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.