South Korean Teacher Given Life for Student Murder

Myeong Jae-wan, a 48-year-old South Korean elementary school teacher, lured seven-year-old Kim Ha-neul into a classroom in Daejeon in February and fatally stabbed her, shocking the nation. Prosecutors had sought the death penalty, saying she deliberately prepared the attack and showed little remorse, but the court convicted her of murder and sentenced her to life imprisonment, while ordering her to wear an electronic tracking device for 30 years. Authorities said Myeong brought a knife intending to kill herself and a random child, was found with apparent self-inflicted wounds and hospitalized, and had recently returned to work after a brief leave for depression amid prior reports of violent behavior, including an assault on a colleague. The victim’s family said they will appeal, and the case prompted national outrage and official attention, with leaders attending the funeral and renewed scrutiny of school safety and mental-health oversight.