Vietnamese national gets 10 years for stabbing compatriot co-worker

A Vietnamese national in their 30s was sentenced to 10 years in prison for fatally stabbing a co-worker, according to legal sources on Thursday.

The Ulsan District Court delivered the sentence after convicting the defendant of murder.

The worker stabbed a fellow Vietnamese laborer with whom they were living at their shared residence in Ulsan in October of last year.

The two were drinking with other workers before an argument escalated. Police reports say that the victim had punched the assailant in the face first, leading the assailant to grab a knife from the kitchen and stab the victim.

The perpetrator later changed clothes and fled the scene, fearing their illegal immigration status would be discovered.

But the police arrested the assailant approximately three hours later.

The victim was transported to a hospital but died from his injuries.

“The crime of murder severely violates the noble and irreplaceable value of human life and results in a consequence that can never be undone,” the court said. "We took into account that they admitted to the crime and actively cooperated with police during his arrest, showing remorse."

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.

BY JUNG SI-NAE [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]