Ho Chi Minh City People's Court

VIETNAM: KOREAN MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING FATHER WHO DEFENDED DAUGHTER-IN-LAW

May 29, 2025:

A Korean man living in Vietnam has been sentenced to death for brutally murdering his father, who had flown in from South Korea to intervene in a family dispute and support his daughter-in-law.
The Ho Chi Minh City People's Court handed down the death sentence to 42-year-old Lim Youang Kwon for the premeditated killing on May 28, 2025.
Kwon had been living with his wife and two young children in an apartment in the city’s District 7.
On March 10, 2024, a violent domestic altercation broke out in which Kwon physically assaulted his wife and killed the family dog.
The wife fled with their children and informed her father-in-law in South Korea about the incident.
Disturbed by the news, the father asked her to book him a flight to Vietnam so he could confront his son and attempt to resolve the conflict. He arrived three days later and, over drinks that same day, advised Kwon to treat his wife better.
But instead of accepting his father's counsel, Kwon grew enraged. Later that night, while his father was asleep, Kwon launched a brutal attack using knives and scissors, fatally stabbing him multiple times.
Overcome with panic after the killing, Kwon attempted suicide by cutting his wrists, then wandered to a lawn outside the apartment building to sleep. A security guard discovered him the following morning and rushed him to hospital.
At trial, Kwon admitted to the murder and pleaded for leniency, citing his responsibilities toward his children. However, the court ruled that the nature of the crime was too severe to warrant a reduced sentence.