A woman in her 40s who set fire to her home, killing her boyfriend after enduring prolonged dating violence, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison. She claimed self-defense, saying, “I killed to survive,” but both the first and appellate courts rejected her argument.
According to MBC’s investigative program Straight, which aired on April 5, the case of Ms. Eunji (pseudonym), who received a finalized 10-year sentence for arson resulting in death, was revealed.
In the early hours of May 2024, Eunji set fire to a detached house in Gunsan, North Jeolla Province, killing a man in his 30s identified as Mr. A. Arrested at the scene, she admitted to starting the fire.
During the police investigation, she stated that she had been confined and assaulted by Mr. A. “He took my phone, so I couldn’t report it or escape. He beat me as if he would kill me, then fell asleep. I was filled with anger,” she said.
Their relationship dated back seven years. Initially kind, Mr. A soon became obsessively controlling, telling her not to meet others, to stay home, and even dictating what she could wear. The abuse escalated to physical violence.
The severity of the abuse worsened over time. He choked her and threatened her with weapons. At one point, Eunji suffered facial fractures so severe that she was hospitalized in intensive care.
Her mother recalled, “He was right-handed, so he hit the right side of her face repeatedly. Doctors said she might lose sight in her right eye.” Over five years of dating, Eunji reportedly filed at least 31 police reports.
Eunji eventually fled to her father’s house, but Mr. A followed her there, causing disturbances and demanding to live with her.
In 2022, Mr. A was sentenced to six months in prison for assaulting Eunji and causing serious facial injuries, including orbital fractures. After his release, he was repeatedly jailed again five months later for refusing to leave her residence, and in 2023 for aggravated assault, serving additional sentences of four months and one year respectively.
Court records detail the brutality. On September 30, 2022, he strangled her and punched her face and head about ten times for attempting to go home. On October 22, 2022, during another argument, he scratched her arm with a weapon and burned her abdomen with cigarettes.
Despite serving prison time three times, his obsession only intensified. Just one week after his release, he contacted Eunji, asking to meet and apologize. Fearing harm to her family, she went to his house only to be subjected to even more severe abuse. Facing what she described as a life-threatening situation, she ultimately committed the crime.
However, her history of abuse was interpreted by the court as a motive rather than justification. The first trial court stated that she was likely in an extremely distressed emotional state after being assaulted prior to the incident and ruled that there was intent to kill, sentencing her to 12 years.
On appeal, Eunji argued that her actions were not premeditated murder but self-defense against prolonged and severe dating violence.
The appellate court acknowledged that she had been exposed to long-term abuse and likely feared for her life, stating that she committed the crime under the mistaken belief that it was the only way to end her suffering. Her sentence was reduced to 10 years. However, the court still recognized intent to kill and rejected the claim of self-defense. The ruling has since been finalized.
Sources: Nate
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