Teen murder accomplice appeals against lifetime imprisonment

A South Korean 18-year-old girl who was sentenced to life in prison for colluding with the teenage murderer of an 8-year-old victim has applied to appeal the court’s decision made last week, the court said Sunday.

According to Incheon District Court, the accomplice -- identified by the surname Park -- filed an appeal against the court’s verdict for the first trial, which handed down a lifetime sentence to the murder accomplice Friday.

Park had no direct role in the murder, but the court acknowledged that the teen was closely involved in the process.

The murderer, a 17-year-old identified by the surname Kim, was sentenced to 20 years in jail for abducting and killing the child and dumping her bodyin March. She has not filed an appeal yet, the court said.

Kim avoided lifetime imprisonment as she is under 18, but received the maximum possible punishment.

Both also received court orders to wear location-tracking devices for 30 years.

Before murdering the victim, Kim, a high school dropout, texted Park who she had met on social media, saying, “I am going out hunting.” Park replied, “Give me a piece of the corpse as a gift,” according to the prosecution.

Park admitted to taking part in abandoning the body, but not to the murder.

All appeals in criminal cases must be submitted to the court within a week by both defendants and prosecutors following a court’s verdict, according to the law.

By Bak Se-hwan (sh@heraldcorp.com)