Korea Times illustration by Shin Dong-joon

On the evening of Oct. 24 last year, in a house in Daegu's Nam District, a 63-year-old father was feeding his 39-year-old son dinner. Born with severe disabilities, the son had relied entirely on his father's care for daily life. For decades, the father had devoted himself to his son, but the burden had left him utterly exhausted.

The son's frustrations had also been building. Living his entire life with disabilities and a deep sense of helplessness, he had grown increasingly despondent.

That evening, his actions reflected the weight of his despair. He kicked the family dog off the dining table and repeatedly urged his father, "Let's die together. Let's go to a place without demons, to heaven where angels are."

Overwhelmed and broken, the father made an unthinkable decision. After consuming a month's worth of antidepressants, a bottle of vodka and half a bottle of soju, he took a knife from the kitchen and fatally stabbed his son in the bathroom. He then attempted to end his own life.

Hours later, his wife returned home to find their son dead and her husband unconscious in a pool of blood. Emergency responders managed to save the father's life, but his attempt to follow his son had failed.

The father was later charged with murder. On Oct. 25, the Daegu District Court sentenced him to three years in prison. The court acknowledged the father's immense sacrifice in caring for his son over 39 years but said, "No matter the circumstances, a parent cannot justify taking their child's life."

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A lifetime of sacrifice and despair

The father and son's story reveals a harrowing reality. Born with severe cognitive disabilities, the son started getting worse after a cerebral hemorrhage in 2014, leading to a diagnosis of grade 1 brain disability.

The father left his job to provide full-time care for his son while his wife worked away from home to support the family financially. Despite suggestions from others to place his son in a care facility, the father refused, unable to bear parting with him.

Over time, the physical and emotional toll became insurmountable. The son's condition showed no signs of improvement, and the toll on the father only grew. In 2021, the father suffered a car accident that left him with severe injuries, including partial amputation of his toes.

Adding to his struggles, his insurance company ceased covering medical expenses in August 2022, leaving him in financial ruin.

By then, the son had begun pleading with his father to end their lives together, a plea he repeated daily. Consumed by despair and physical exhaustion, the father eventually succumbed to the pressure and committed the irreversible act.

Calls for leniency

Despite the crime, the father's family and disability advocacy groups urged the court to show leniency. His wife testified in court, acknowledging her husband's dedication and expressing guilt for leaving him to shoulder the burden alone.

Their second son also requested leniency, emphasizing his father's sacrifices. Advocacy groups and parents of children with disabilities submitted petitions, arguing that the crime stemmed from an unbearable personal and systemic crisis.

In a January statement, the Korea Welfare Citizens' Coalition said, "While taking a life is undeniably a crime, this case reflects a reality too harsh for one individual and family to bear. The government and society share responsibility for failing to provide adequate support."

It called for the court to consider mitigating circumstances in sentencing.

The exterior view of the Daegu District Court / Korea Times file

A complex verdict

The court wrestled with the case, balancing the father's tragic circumstances with the severity of the crime. Psychological evaluations showed that the father was emotionally overwhelmed but not legally insane at the time of the crime.

"Although his circumstances are heartrending, the act of taking a life cannot be justified under any condition," the court said.

In sentencing the father to three years in prison, the court considered his health and the extenuating circumstances but also emphasized the suffering of the victim.

"The son likely endured unimaginable pain and despair at the hands of the person he trusted most," the court said, adding that the intrinsic value of human life must also be weighed.

The father's sentence has sparked debate, with some viewing it as too lenient while others question whether the punishment is appropriate given the circumstances.

On Nov. 4, the father's legal team filed an appeal, seeking a review of the initial verdict.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.