Court sentences kidnapper-murderer to death

INCHEON, Jan. 23 (Yonhap) -- A local court on Friday handed down a death sentence
to a man who abducted a mother and daughter for money and then murdered them.
Two of his accomplices were given life sentences, and the other a five-year
sentence. It was not immediately known whether they will appeal.
The 28-year-old man, identified only by his surname Ha, was convicted of
kidnapping the 47-year-old woman and her daughter on Ganghwa island, 50 km west
of Seoul, in June last year. He then strangled them after withdrawing 100
million won from the mother's account.
"The defendant played a major role in taking precious lives, and it is doubtful
whether he has even the slightest respect for people's lives," the judge said.
"As capital punishment still exists in the country, the court cannot but sentence
him to death."
Two of his accomplices, identified only by their last names Ahn and Lee, who had
conspired with Ha to murder the women were sentenced to life imprisonment. The
court recognized that Ahn did not actually commit murder, while Lee was acting on
orders.
Ha and Ahn were additionally convicted of kidnapping and killing Ha's half-sister
in April 2006.
South Korea still maintains the death penalty but has not carried out any
executions since December 1997. Twenty-three people were put to death on that
year before then President Kim Young-sam left office. He was succeeded in early
1998 by Kim Dae-jung, a former dissident and democracy activist once sentenced to
death but later pardoned. who is known to be an opponent of capital punishment.
brk@yna.co.kr
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