75-year-old Korean man gets 16‑year prison term for wife’s fire‑death

A 75‑year‑old man in South Korea was convicted of murder after setting his wife ablaze during a marital dispute. Prosecutors said he poured a chemical solvent on her body and ignited it, causing severe burns that led to septicemia and death. On 12 May, Seoul Northern District Court Criminal Division 11 sentenced him to 16 years in prison, rejecting the prosecution’s request for a 20‑year term and a 30‑year electronic monitoring order. The court noted the cruelty of the method and the victim’s extreme suffering, but considered the act to be impulsive, the defendant’s advanced age, and his post‑sentencing prospects as mitigating factors. The defendant claimed intoxication and a long‑standing panic‑disorder‑related conflict with his spouse, but the court found these explanations unconvincing.