Prosecutors have sought the death penalty in the trial of defendant Jang Yun-gi in the case involving the killing of a high school student. The case is being heard by the 13th Criminal Division of the Gwangju District Court, and a specific date for the first-instance sentencing hearing was presented after prosecutors made their sentencing request. However, a request for the death penalty is the punishment prosecutors ask the court to impose, not the court’s final sentence. As of August 31, the first-instance ruling had not yet been issued.

Key Development: Prosecution Seeks the Death Penalty

On August 31, 2026, prosecutors sought the maximum statutory punishment—the death penalty—for defendant Jang Yun-gi at the Gwangju District Court. They also requested orders requiring the disclosure of personal information, completion of a sexual-violence treatment program, 30 years of location tracking and electronic-device monitoring, and probation supervision.

A sentencing request is the procedural step in which prosecutors ask the court to impose a specific level of punishment on the defendant. Therefore, the fact that prosecutors sought the death penalty cannot by itself be treated as a death sentence or a finalized punishment. The actual sentence and additional orders will be determined by the court.

A prosecutorial request for the death penalty and a final sentence do not mean the same thing.

Grounds Presented by Prosecutors

Prosecutors argued that the defendant posed a high risk of reoffending, citing past allegations of illegal filming, stalking, and rape, as well as circumstances before and after the crime. These points were the grounds presented by prosecutors during their sentencing request and should be distinguished from facts and punishment finally determined by the court.

The case is currently being heard by the 13th Criminal Division of the Gwangju District Court on charges including violations of the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment, etc. of Sexual Crimes. According to reported developments in the trial, prosecutors have made their sentencing request, but because the first-instance ruling has not yet been issued, the defendant’s guilt and final sentence cannot be stated as definitively established.

The Victim’s Petition and Public Interest in the Case

The victim’s side submitted a petition to the court seeking the maximum statutory punishment for defendant Jang Yun-gi. According to a Newsis report, the petition reflected demands from a total of 51,149 people, including 6,151 handwritten signatures and 44,988 signatures collected partly online.

This figure shows the scale at which demands for severe punishment from the victim’s side and members of the public were conveyed to the court. However, the number of petition signatures cannot be understood as directly determining the court’s decision. The panel will make an independent determination based on the evidence and legal issues addressed during the proceedings.

The sentencing request and submission of the petition are part of the reason public attention to the case continues. The key point for readers, however, is to separate the scale of public opinion from the court’s final decision. Because the victim is a minor, care is also needed to prevent identifying information such as the victim’s identity or school from spreading.

Current Status: Awaiting the First-Instance Sentence

The status confirmed at the time of the August 31 search was “prosecutors’ sentencing request completed, first-instance sentence pending.” The trial is being conducted by the 13th Criminal Division of the Gwangju District Court, and prosecutors requested the death penalty along with several security- and treatment-related orders. The defendant’s final statement was also reported to have taken place, but its content does not represent the court’s conclusion.

The case stage confirmed so far is as follows:

  • Court panel: 13th Criminal Division, Gwangju District Court
  • Procedure: Awaiting the first-instance sentence after the prosecution’s sentencing request
  • Prosecution’s requests: Death penalty, disclosure of personal information, treatment program, and 30 years of location tracking, electronic-device monitoring, and probation supervision
  • Victim’s side: Submitted a petition seeking the maximum statutory punishment

Next Checkpoint: 2 p.m. on September 30

The 13th Criminal Division of the Gwangju District Court has stated that it plans to hold the first-instance sentencing hearing in defendant Jang Yun-gi’s case at 2 p.m. on September 30, 2026. This is the scheduled date based on the trial proceedings confirmed on August 31.

On the day of sentencing, the point to check is not whether the prosecution’s request is accepted unchanged, but what sentence and additional orders the court imposes. Prosecutors requested the death penalty, but the court’s sentencing result must be confirmed separately. Even after sentencing, how the case’s legal proceedings continue should be checked through the sentencing details and subsequent official announcements.

Accordingly, readers reviewing current search results should distinguish information based on the present status—“prosecutors seek the death penalty” and “first-instance sentencing scheduled for September 30”—rather than using definitive expressions such as “Jang Yun-gi’s death sentence confirmed” or “final verdict.”