Kim Seong-soo, the man who stabbed a part-time worker to death at an internet cafe in Seoul last year, answers reporters' questions outside Seoul Yangcheon Police Station, western Seoul, in this Nov. 21 photo. Yonhap



By Lee Suh-yoon



A Seoul court handed down a 30 year jail term to Kim Seong-soo, who brutally stabbed a young part-time worker to death at an internet cafe last year, Tuesday.



The Seoul Southern District Court ruled it was necessary for Kim ― "a dangerous menace" according to the judges ― to be separated from society. Kim was also ordered to wear an electronic tag for 10 years after his release.



"His actions were aggressive and cruel beyond belief, revealing his extreme disdain for life," the judge panel said.



It said Kim did not stop the attack until police officers came and suppressed him, causing great shock and fear to the witnesses and the general public. "The bereaved family will have to live with despair and the feeling of loss, and they call for stern punishment. It is necessary for him to be separated from society until he truly regrets and atones for his actions," the panel said.



Kim, 30, was arrested last October at an internet cafe in Gangseo-gu, western Seoul, where he knocked over a part-time employee and stabbed him in the face and body over 80 times. The worker, a 20-year-old surnamed Shin, died three hours later in the hospital due to excessive blood loss. Police said Kim and Shin exchanged heated words over "bad cleaning service" shortly before the incident.



Earlier, the prosecution demanded a death sentence for Kim. The ruling, however, reduced the punishment to 30 years as Kim held no prior criminal record and showed signs of atonement during the trial.





Citizens leave notes and flowers for Shin in front of the internet cafe, in this Oct. 2 photo. Yonhap