SEOUL, South Korea — In a chilling display of animal cruelty, a South Korean man in his 20s has been sentenced to 14 months in prison after being convicted of killing 76 cats, marking one of the most horrifying cases of animal abuse the country has witnessed in recent years.
The Changwon District Court in southeastern South Korea handed down the sentence last week after finding the man guilty of violating the nation’s animal protection law, according to court documents. The identity of the man has not been disclosed.
Court records reveal that the man embarked on a cat-killing spree from December 2022 through September 2023, driven by a profound animosity towards cats that developed after several cats scratched his car. His methods of killing were particularly brutal; he strangled some cats, used scissors to kill others, and in one instance, ran a cat over with a car. The cats were either strays or had been adopted from online platforms.
The severity of the crimes led to the court’s decision that imprisonment was necessary due to the premeditated and exceptionally cruel nature of the acts. However, the court also considered the man’s lack of prior criminal history and his expressed remorse in determining the length of the sentence. Additionally, it was noted that unspecified mental health issues played a role in motivating his actions.
The perpetrator has appealed the court’s decision.
The case has prompted strong reactions from animal welfare advocates, highlighting a growing societal intolerance for animal cruelty in South Korea. Borami Seo, a director at the South Korea office of Humane Society International, commented on the broader implications of the case, stating, “The sentence reflects Korean society’s increasing concern for animal welfare and intolerance for senseless cruelty such as this.”
Seo also emphasized the importance of legislative changes to better protect animals, citing ongoing efforts to pass an amendment to the Civil Act that would recognize animals as sentient beings, thereby affording them stronger legal protections.