Man found not guilty of murdering Cambodian wife

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By Yi Whan-woo

A Korean who was charged with killing his pregnant wife from Cambodia in a staged car crash was found not guilty by the Supreme Court, Friday.

The top court, however, said the man was responsible for causing the accident by falling asleep at the wheel and accordingly sentenced him to two years behind bars.

The case infuriated advocates of multicultural families and Cambodian residents, after the man was charged with murder and insurance fraud.

The man was arrested for crashing his van into a truck parked on the side of a highway in August 2014. His Cambodian wife, who was seven months pregnant, was in the passenger seat and was killed.

He was charged with both murder and insurance fraud after it was revealed that he bought insurance policies for his wife, entitling him to billions of won upon her death.

A district court found the man not guilty. But a high court later sentenced him to life in prison.