(Herald DB) A South Korean man in his 60s who vowed to commit suicide with his wife but survived alone was given a suspended prison sentence for abetting a suicide, a local court said Sunday.The Jecheon branch of the Cheongju District Court sentenced the man to 18 months in prison, suspended for three years.The couple suffered financial difficulties after being victimized by a voice phishing scam, and they made a suicide pact in August 2025. But only the wife died, and the husband was charged with abetting suicide, as stipulated in Article 252 of the Criminal Act.The court said that even though the couple made the decision together, the man must be punished for his part in his wife's death."Attempting a double suicide and assisting with taking someone's life is a severe crime," the court said, stressing that society should protect a person's life above all else.The court said it granted the man leniency in the form of a suspended sentence based on the fact that the man admitted to the charge and the wife's family said they do not want him to be punished.
minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com
