Appellate court upholds life sentence for rape-murder suspect
Choi Yun-jong, the suspect accused of attempting to rape, then murdering a woman in her 30, speaks with the press before his questioning, in Seoul, Aug. 19, 2023. Newsis
An appellate court on Wednesday upheld life imprisonment for the suspect in last year's attempted rape and murder of a woman on a hiking trail in Seoul.
Choi Yun-jong, 30, was indicted on charges of fatally beating, throttling and attempting to rape the victim he randomly picked on a hillside hiking trail in the Sillim neighborhood on Aug. 17.
The victim, an elementary school teacher in her 30s, was left unattended for some 20 minutes before being taken to a hospital but died two days later.
In January, a district court sentenced Choi to life in prison, saying he should be separated from society forever. The Seoul High Court upheld the previous ruling. (Yonhap)