Man who killed son challenges life sentence, says it's too harsh

(Illustration by Park Ji-young/The Korea Herald)

The 63-year-old man who murdered his son and attempted to kill other members of his family appealed the recent ruling by the district court, arguing the life sentence he received is excessive for his crime.

It was reported Friday that the defendant submitted the appeal to the Incheon District Court on Thursday, which means the case will now be handled by the Incheon division of the Seoul High Court. He reportedly claimed that the punishment was too harsh, although the specifics of the appeal have not yet been released.

The Incheon court found the defendant guilty and sentenced him to life in prison last Friday for murdering the 33-year-old victim with a homemade gun in July 2025.

In an incident that shocked the nation, the defendant surnamed Jo was attending his own birthday party at the victim's home, which was arranged by the victim himself. Jo launched the attack on his son when he welcomed him at the doorstep, firing an extra shot as the victim begged him to spare his life.

Jo also attempted to kill his daughter-in-law, his grandchildren, and an acquaintance of the victim's family, all of whom barely escaped the attack.

Investigators found that the defendant acted out of severe delusion, falsely believing his ex-wife and son conspired to isolate and harass him. The ex-wife divorced him in 2015 after Jo's conviction for a sex crime, but continued to financially support him for years, as did the victim later in adulthood.

Jo blamed his ex-wife and son for all his financial issues, despite their continued generosity and the fact that he squandered all the money he received from them without holding a job.