Husband in South Korea who killed wife for refusing sex after miscarriage jailed 25 years

Husband in South Korea who killed newlywed wife for refusing sex sentenced to 25 years in prison

A South Korean husband who strangled his wife to death just three months into their marriage after she refused sex has been sentenced to 25 years in prison.

Source: Unanswered Questions on YouTube

The Seoul Southern District Court handed down the verdict on Thursday (25 Sept), rejecting the prosecution’s request for a life sentence and a probation order.

The case resurfaced in the public eye earlier this month after a national investigative programme revisited the woman’s death.

Marriage strained by relentless demands

The victim, 34-year-old Yoo Hye-young, had married Seo, 35, in December 2024 after a 10-month courtship.

Months earlier, she had suffered a miscarriage caused by an ectopic pregnancy and undergone surgery that removed one of her fallopian tubes.

Source: Unanswered Questions on YouTube

Despite her fragile health, Seo pressed her for sex repeatedly, even during her recovery.

This behaviour placed a growing strain on the marriage, and by January 2025, Ms Yoo told him she wanted a divorce.

Investigators later found that Seo had gone through her KakaoTalk chats and discovered she had told friends she regretted marrying him and was overwhelmed by his demands.

Source: Unanswered Questions on YouTube

On 13 March, at their apartment in Seoul’s Gangseo District, Seo strangled her in bed while she was under the influence of alcohol and sleeping pills.

Husband tried to cover up his crime

After the attack, Seo phoned the police and claimed he had returned from work to find his wife unresponsive.

He even arranged the funeral and acted as chief mourner, giving the appearance of a grieving husband.

Source: Unanswered Questions on YouTube

Police arrested him the following day at the funeral home.

Seo stuck to his denials until forensic evidence revealed signs of strangulation on his wife’s neck and toxicology tests showed alcohol and a sedative in her system.

Faced with this, he confessed, claiming it had been a rash act committed while drunk.

Investigators later found he had tried to erase evidence by deleting the household surveillance application and altering his wife’s phone password.

Sentenced to 25 years’ jail

At the final hearing on 11 Sept, prosecutors called for life imprisonment, describing his actions as driven by motives “no reasonable person could accept”.

In the end, the court sentenced him to 25 years, highlighting his lack of remorse and deliberate cover-up.

“He calmly pretended to grieve before being arrested at the funeral, and continued to deny responsibility until confronted with evidence, showing a calculating and inhumane attitude,” the judge said.

Before sentencing, Seo gave a final statement: “Through my wrongdoing, I lost someone precious and did something that should never have been done.”