Undocumented Chinese National Receives Four-Year Sentence for Attempted Murder in Cheongju

CHEONGJU, South Korea — A 48-year-old undocumented Chinese man has been sentenced to four years in prison for attempting to murder a male acquaintance, according to a statement by the Cheongju District Court released on Sunday.

According to a new release by Yonhap News Agency, the Chinese man was convicted of attempting to kill an acquaintance who is the cousin of a woman the man had harassed earlier. Authorities state that the Chinese man and the woman dined at a Cheongju restaurant on July 13, where he touched her against her will. Upon learning about the harassment, the woman’s cousin contacted the Chinese man to voice his complaints. The Chinese man then invited the cousin for an in-person meeting.

Prior to the meeting, the Chinese man purchased two knives. A verbal altercation ensued during the meeting, culminating in the Chinese man stabbing his acquaintance in the abdomen. The injuries required four weeks of medical attention for the victim.

During the trial, the accused claimed he did not intend to kill the acquaintance. However, the court upheld a four-year sentence, stating that the abdomen is an area containing vital organs and that stabbing it could lead to death. The court also cited that the victim has not forgiven the man and pointed to the violent nature of the crime.