A Seoul court sentenced 41-year-old Kim Dong-won to life imprisonment for murdering three people at a pizza store in the capital's Gwanak district last September. The killings stemmed from a dispute over repair costs for the franchise outlet. Prosecutors had sought the death penalty, but the court opted for a life term citing the crime's gravity.
In September 2025, a horrific incident unfolded at a pizza franchise outlet in Seoul's Gwanak district, in the city's southwest. Kim Dong-won, a 41-year-old operator of the store, flew into a rage upon learning he would have to cover repair costs and fatally stabbed a franchise company employee, an interior contractor, and the contractor's daughter.
On February 5, 2026, the Seoul Central District Court sentenced Kim to life imprisonment. In its ruling, the court noted: "The victims must have felt considerable pain and fear at the time of the crime and the defendant has not been forgiven by their families." It added: "The result of this case is very grave and there is a need to hold the defendant strictly accountable."
Prosecutors had initially demanded the death penalty, but the court imposed a life term instead. The case highlights how disputes in franchise operations can escalate to deadly violence, drawing public attention. The victims' families remain unforgiving.
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