Chinese woman sentenced to life for murder and robbery in Jeju hotel

A Chinese woman in her 30s was sentenced to life in prison Thursday for killing a compatriot at a luxury hotel in Jeju to steal money and valuables.

An image of a statue of Justitia, the goddess of justice [KOREA JOONGANG DAILY]

A Chinese woman in her 30s was sentenced to life in prison Thursday for killing a compatriot at a luxury hotel in Jeju to steal money and valuables.

The Jeju District Court convicted her of robbery and murder, as well as violating the Act on Regulation and Punishment of Criminal Proceeds Concealment. Two accomplices — a woman in her 30s and a man in his 40s, both Chinese nationals — received suspended two-year prison terms.

The woman fatally stabbed a money exchanger who had come to a hotel room in Jeju City on Feb. 24, using a knife she had prepared in advance, according to prosecutors. She then fled with about 85 million won ($61,400) in cash and casino chips.

Investigators found that she had lost 230 million won gambling at a casino in Jeju and owed around 400 million won to family and others. She had also pawned her passport and was unable to leave the country. Facing mounting pressure, she conspired with her accomplices in China to rob the victim.

After the killing, she handed a paper bag containing cash and chips to her accomplices, who exchanged them with another money broker and had the funds wired to their accounts in China.

The woman later turned herself in at a police substation in Seogwipo, saying she had killed someone. Her two accomplices were arrested at Jeju International Airport while attempting to flee to China.

During the trial, she admitted to the killing but denied it was premeditated, claiming the victim attacked her first during an argument and that the incident was accidental. She also argued that she only took the money after the victim had died, insisting her charges should be reduced to murder and misappropriation rather than robbery and murder.

The accomplices also claimed they believed the bag contained repayment of debts, not proceeds from a violent crime.

“Given how the meeting occurred and the victim’s physical condition, it is difficult to believe the victim attacked first,” said the court. “The defendant was under psychological pressure from her debts, which provided sufficient motive to commit robbery and murder.”

“The despair and grief suffered by the victim’s family is unimaginable, yet the defendant has attempted to shift responsibility to the victim,” said the court. “The only just outcome is to permanently isolate her from society to allow time for reflection.”

As for the accomplices, the court noted their culpability in concealing criminal proceeds but considered the fact that they were misled, admitted to their crimes and expressed remorse in handing down lighter sentences.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. BY HAN YOUNG-HYE [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]