South Korean courts uphold lengthy prison terms for murder convictions

South Korea's appellate courts have affirmed heavy sentences in three separate murder cases. The Supreme Court's 3rd Division upheld a 20‑year prison term, along with a decade of electronic monitoring, for a 38‑year‑old man convicted of killing an 89‑year‑old neighbour after stealing 50,000 won. The Daegu High Court dismissed appeals and maintained a 13‑year sentence for a 30‑year‑old father who beat his 42‑day‑old infant son to death and concealed the body. In Gwangju, prosecutors have requested a 20‑year term for a 40‑year‑old man who stabbed his wife's lover to death in a parking lot; the court previously imposed 15 years, which the defence argues is excessive.