A South Korean court has handed a suspended prison sentence to a man in his 60s who survived a suicide pact with his wife, ruling that he was criminally responsible for assisting in her death.
The Jecheon branch of the Cheongju District Court sentenced the man to 18 months in prison, suspended for three years, according to the court on Sunday.
The couple had reportedly fallen into severe financial hardship after becoming victims of a voice phishing scam.
In August 2025, they agreed to end their lives together. However, only the wife died, while the husband survived.
Prosecutors subsequently charged him with abetting suicide under Article 252 of South Korea’s Criminal Act.
In its ruling, the court said that although the decision to die was made jointly, the husband still bore legal responsibility for his role in his wife’s death.
“Attempting a double suicide and assisting with taking someone’s life is a severe crime,” the court said, stressing that society should protect a person’s life above all else.
The court noted that it opted for a suspended sentence after considering mitigating factors, including the man’s admission of guilt and the wishes of the deceased woman’s family, who told the court they did not want him to be punished.
