Man kills 'violent' grandfather; grandmother asks court for leniency

A man under trial in South Korea for killing his grandfather has claimed that the victim had frequently abused his grandmother, while the grandmother in question has requested a lenient punishment for her grandson, saying "she would gladly give her own life for it."

Prosecutors asked the Seoul Eastern District Court to sentence the 23-year-old man accused of killing his grandfather to 24 years in prison, in a court hearing Tuesday.

They said that, although the defendant said his grandfather had frequently committed domestic violence, all the charges against the older man had been dropped.

The defendant stabbed the victim at around 12:30 a.m. on Aug. 8, critically injuring him at their home in Seongdong-gu, Seoul. He claimed that the victim had inflicted "severe violence" on his wife -- the defendant's grandmother -- and that the only reason that the victim escaped criminal punishment is because the family had settled on no punishment.

According to the defendant, he was drunk at the time of the incident, and the underlying anger toward his grandfather had erupted after he came home. He added that he is well aware of the grave crime that he committed, and vowed to atone for his actions.

It is unclear whether or not there is any truth in the domestic abuse accusations against the victim, but the bereaved family has requested the court for leniency. Hwang's grandmother appeared in court in an earlier hearing, and said that she wanted lenient punishment for her grandson.

"I wish for lighter (punishment). I would exchange my own life for it," she said, to which the defendant burst in tears.