The Supreme Court on Wednesday confirmed a life sentence for Wu Yuanchun, an ethnic Korean from China found guilty of abducting and brutally murdering a woman in her 20s in Suwon last April.
Wu (43) was also ordered to wear an electronic bracelet for 30 years should he ever be eligible for parole, and his identity to be made public for 10 years .
Wu chopped up the woman into pieces and wrapped them in plastic bags, triggering suspicions that he intended to sell her flesh. Prosecutors had sought the death sentence, but a lower court sentenced him to life behind bars citing a lack of evidence that the murder was premeditated and that he intended to sell the body parts.
Prosecutors appealed, but the Supreme Court said the prosecution cannot appeal jail sentences over 10 years in view of proportionality.
Wu abducted the woman who was walking past his house in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province in April last year and attempted to rape her in his home. The case shocked Korea because the victim managed to make an emergency call on her mobile phone, where for eight minutes she could be heard screaming and begging for her life, but although she gave a detailed description of where she was, police went to the wrong area.
The victim's younger brother said, "It's very disappointing that the court did not acknowledge the existing evidence. He deserves the death penalty. I also want to hear a heartfelt apology from the police."
