Myanmar man's 5-year prison term upheld for attempted murder

gettyimagesbank

An appeals court has upheld a five-year prison sentence for a Myanmarese national, 30, for trying to kill his former colleague in Dangjin, South Chungcheong Province, six months ago.

The Daejeon High Court on Friday dismissed his appeal and upheld the lower court’s verdict that found him guilty of attempted murder against his compatriot at a residence near their workplace on April 28.

The man, who had been working at the factory without a valid visa, was indicted on charges of attacking the victim repeatedly with a 36-centimeter knife.

The assailant reportedly had become involved in a conflict while trying to settle a quarrel about religion between the victim and another worker.

The man was found to have been granted an E-9 visa — the type issued for foreign nationals employed in non-professional jobs such as manufacturing — before entering Korea in 2022. He has been staying here illegally after the visa expired in March 2023.