Why did the court reject Kim So-youngs claim about the laced drinks case?

The court said KakaoTalk messages showed no signs the men tried to sexually assault her. It also said that although she may not initially have understood the risk of death, she later learned about that possibility from information she gathered through ChatGPT and other platforms.

When did Kim So-young give the benzodiazepine-laced drinks that led to the murders?

She was charged with killing two men between December 2025 and February by giving them drinks spiked with benzodiazepine. The case also involved injuries to four other men using similar methods, although the court acquitted her of harming one of them.

Woman sentenced to life imprisonment for killing 2 men with laced drinks

Q: What sentence and monitoring order did the court give Kim So-young?

The district court sentenced her to life imprisonment. It also ordered her to wear an electronic monitoring device for 30 years if she is ever released from prison.

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Summary

A district court on Thursday sentenced Kim So-young to life imprisonment for murdering two men and injuring three others with laced drinks. The 20-year-old had been charged with killing two men between December 2025 and February by giving them benzodiazepine-spiked drinks. The court also ordered her to wear an electronic monitoring device for 30 years if she is ever released from prison.

Key Facts

Kim So-young was accused of giving drinks spiked with benzodiazepine, a depressant, to men between December 2025 and February.
The court acquitted her of harming one of the four men she was charged with injuring.
She claimed she gave the drugs to stop the men from touching her after being reminded of a past sexual assault and said she only intended to put them to sleep.
The court said KakaoTalk messages showed no signs that the men tried to sexually assault her.
The court said she later learned of the possibility of death through information she gathered from ChatGPT and other platforms.

By Yonhap

Published Aug 27, 2026 4:32 pm KST

This mug shot released on March 9 shows 20-year-old Kim So-young, who is accused of murdering two men and injuring three others with laced drinks. Courtesy of Seoul Northern District Prosecutors' Office

A district court on Thursday sentenced a 20-year-old woman to life imprisonment for murdering two men and injuring three others with laced drinks.

Kim So-young was charged with killing two men between December 2025 and February by giving them drinks spiked with benzodiazepine, a depressant.

She was also charged with injuring four other men using similar methods, but the court acquitted her of harming one of the men.

Kim had claimed she administered the drugs to prevent the men from touching her after she was reminded of a past sexual assault and had only intended to put them to sleep.

The court dismissed her claim, saying KakaoTalk messages showed no signs the men tried to sexually assault her and though she may not initially have been aware of the risk of death, she later learned of the possibility through information she gathered from ChatGPT and other platforms.

The court also ordered her to wear an electronic monitoring device for 30 years if she is ever released from prison.

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