A man who went on trial for attempting to kill Kim Sang-wook (30), a mixed martial artist who appeared in season one of the military entertainment program “Steel Corps,” with a weapon has been sentenced to prison in the first instance.
The Seoul Central District Court’s Criminal Division 29 메이저놀이터(Chief Judge Kim Seung-jung) sentenced A, 33, to three years in prison for attempted murder and ordered him to undergo therapeutic supervision, according to legal sources on Aug. 8.
Mr. A allegedly attempted to kill his coach, Mr. Kim, by swinging a weapon at him several times in April 2022 at a kickboxing gym in Gangnam-gu, Seoul.
Mr. A, who was one of Mr. Kim’s students, claimed to have been severely harassed and disrespected by Mr. Kim while learning the sport.
Mr. Kim was reportedly able to block the weapon wielded by Mr. A with his hand during the attack, and was lucky to escape serious injury.
Mr. A was arrested on suspicion of assaulting a police officer in a police station holding cell and assaulting a detainee in a detention center by pouring hot water on him.
In court, Mr. A claimed that he did not intend to kill Mr. Kim, but the court found that the combination of the weapon he had prepared in advance and the location of the wounds indicated intent to kill.
“If Mr. Kim had not been able to defend himself in a timely manner, it could have resulted in the loss of his life,” the court said, adding that “severe punishment is inevitable.”
However, the court found that Mr. A committed the crime in a state of mental weakness, considering that he had been treated for mental illness and the results of a doctor’s examination at the National Legal Hospital.
The court also ordered therapeutic supervision, saying, “There is a risk of recidivism if he does not receive proper treatment.”
Kim appeared as a member of the UDT team in the first season of Channel A and SKY’s “Steel Corps” and became known to the public as the first winner. He is an active mixed martial artist.