South Korean Teacher Sentenced to Life for Stabbing Eight-Year-Old Student

Mon Oct 20 2025 18:27:56 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

A teacher in South Korea has received a life sentence for murdering eight-year-old Kim Hae-neul in a shocking crime that raised national outcry. Prosecutors initially sought the death penalty.

Myeong Jae-wan, 48, was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of eight-year-old Kim Hae-neul in Daejeon, South Korea. The court noted high risks of reoffending but did not impose the death penalty despite prosecutors' requests. Myeong had lured Kim into a classroom before the attack and later expressed remorse through letters. The case has prompted calls for increased safety measures in schools across South Korea.

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 the victim's family asked for a harsh punishment. However, the court acknowledged the high risk of reoffending yet deemed execution inappropriate.

Myeong expressed that she would reflect on her mistakes for the rest of her life, claiming her judgment had deteriorated due to mental health issues at the time of the stabbing. Despite during the investigation showing no remorse, she submitted numerous letters of regret to the court.

Prior to the stabbing, Myeong requested a six-month medical leave due to depression but returned after twenty days, following medical clearance. Reports indicated a pattern of violent behavior leading up to the incident.

On the morning of the attack, two education officials were at the school to investigate an earlier violent incident involving Myeong. According to her statements to the police, she had brought a weapon to school with the intention of killing herself and a random child.

The girl, Kim, went missing after a bus driver reported that she had not been picked up. She was later discovered in the school with stab wounds and was found alongside Myeong, who had also inflicted a wound on herself.

The incident drew national outrage, with leaders calling for measures to enhance safety in schools. Myeong has been mandated to wear an electronic location tracking device for thirty years.

In the court's ruling, it highlighted the breach of trust, illustrating that as an elementary school teacher, Myeong was expected to safeguard her students but instead committed a brutal crime against one of them.