A South Korean court has sentenced a teacher to life in prison for fatally stabbing an eight-year-old girl, in a case that shocked the nation.
Myeong Jae-wan, 48, killed Kim Hae-neul after luring her into a classroom in the central city of Daejeon in February.
Prosecutors had sought the death penalty for Myeong, saying that the victim's family had asked for a harsh punishment.
But the court stated that while the risk of reoffending is high, it is difficult to conclude that Myeong must be executed.
Myeong has indicated she would reflect on her mistakes for the rest of her life, attributing her actions to weakened judgment as she was receiving mental health treatment at the time of the stabbing.
Despite expressing remorse in letters to the court, prosecutors reported that Myeong showed no remorse during the investigation, highlighting a troubling discrepancy in her behavior.
Myeong had requested a six-month leave of absence prior to the incident, citing depression. However, after a doctor deemed her fit for work, she returned to her teaching position just 20 days later.
In the lead-up to the stabbing, she exhibited violent behavior, including an incident where she placed another teacher in a headlock, drawing the attention of education officials who had visited the school on the day of the murder.
Details from the investigation revealed that Myeong had planned to end her life as well as that of a random child, leading to her actions against Kim.
On the morning of the stabbing, the school was notified by a bus driver that Kim had not arrived for pickup, and she was later found with stab wounds along with Myeong, who had a self-inflicted wound.
In a public response to this tragic event, South Korean leaders have called for measures to ensure the safety of children in schools.
As part of her sentence, Myeong has also been ordered to wear an electronic location tracking device for 30 years.
The court's ruling emphasized the betrayal of trust, highlighting that as an elementary school teacher, Myeong was expected to protect her students, but instead committed a brutal crime against a child in a safe environment.
