'Choking partner to death for strong sexual drive is crime'

If you choke your partner to death because of a strong sexual drive, is it murder? Yes, it is.

The Busan Appellate Court sentenced a 44-year-old Lee Tuesday to 15 years in prison, tripling the penalty by a lower court, convicting him with murder rather than assault.

“The court finds that the accused strangulated the victim to death than proceeded to have sex with the corpse. The nature of the crime is heinous and deserve the heaviest sentence allowed by law in social and moral considerations,” the court said in the ruling.

The incident occurred Nov. 2 when the accused strangulated a 43-year-old Kim to death while having sex then proceeded to have intercourse, taking photos on his mobile phone. As he left the motel, he told the manager that the woman was asleep and that she should be left alone.

The lower court ruled that while the facts are correct, there is no evidence to prove that killing of the woman was premeditated and thus dismissed the charges of murder.