Seoul Court Sentences Woman to Life for Killing Two Men With Drug-Laced Drinks

Seoul Court Imposes Life Sentence

A Seoul court sentenced 20-year-old Kim So-young to life in prison for giving drug-laced drinks to six men, killing two and injuring four. [1] The Seoul Northern District Court also ordered Kim to wear an electronic monitoring device for 30 years if she is ever released. [1] Judges rejected her claim that she intended only to put the victims to sleep rather than kill them. [1] The court found that Kim had intended to kill the victims. [1] A district court on Thursday sentenced the 20-year-old woman to life imprisonment for murdering two men and injuring three others with laced drinks. [2] The court also ordered her to wear an electronic monitoring device for 30 years if she is ever released from prison. [2]

Details of the Drug-Laced Drink Crimes

Kim was convicted of giving drinks laced with benzodiazepines to three men in their 20s between December 2025 and February. [1] Two of the men died and the third was left unconscious. [1] The two deaths occurred at motels in Gangbuk, northern Seoul. [1] Kim was charged with killing two men between December 2025 and February by giving them drinks spiked with benzodiazepine. [2] She was also charged with injuring four other men using similar methods. [2] The court acquitted her of harming one of the men. [2] Kim was arrested and indicted in March. [1] Prosecutors brought additional charges in April over three other men who were injured after allegedly being given drug-laced drinks in similar circumstances. [1]

Court Rejects Self-Defense Claim

At her final hearing on Aug. 18, Kim said she had given the men the drugs to avoid unwanted physical contact, citing memories of a previous sexual assault. [1] The court rejected that argument, saying KakaoTalk messages and other evidence did not support her claim that she had faced an imminent threat of sexual assault from the victims. [1] Kim had claimed she administered the drugs to prevent the men from touching her after she was reminded of a past sexual assault and had only intended to put them to sleep. [2] The court dismissed her claim, saying KakaoTalk messages showed no signs the men tried to sexually assault her. [2]

Evidence of Intent and ChatGPT Research

The court found that Kim had intended to kill the victims, saying she became increasingly aware of the potentially lethal effects of the drugs she used. [1] "She may not initially have been aware of the specific risk of death, but later used tools including ChatGPT to learn about the conditions under which the drugs could be fatal," the court said. [1] The court dismissed her claim, saying though she may not initially have been aware of the risk of death, she later learned of the possibility through information she gathered from ChatGPT and other platforms. [2]

Prosecutors' Demand and Acquittal on One Count

Prosecutors had sought the death penalty, along with 30 years of electronic monitoring and probation. [1] Prosecutors brought additional charges in April over three other men who were injured after allegedly being given drug-laced drinks in similar circumstances. [1] The court acquitted Kim of one aggravated injury charge involving one of the six men. [1] She was also charged with injuring four other men using similar methods, but the court acquitted her of harming one of the men. [2]

What to watch next: The court ordered Kim to wear an electronic monitoring device for 30 years if she is ever released from prison after serving the life sentence.