Incheon: A 63-year-old man has been sentenced to life in prison for fatally shooting his son with a homemade gun during the man's own birthday celebration last year. The Incheon District Court, responsible for the ruling, also mandated the man to wear an ankle monitor for 20 years, having found him guilty of murder, attempted murder, and violating firearms control regulations.

According to Yonhap News Agency, prosecutors had sought the death penalty for the defendant, who murdered his 33-year-old son. The son had organized the birthday party at an apartment in Incheon, west of Seoul, on July 20. The man also faced accusations of attempting to kill his daughter-in-law, two grandchildren, and an acquaintance of the daughter-in-law present at the scene.

The court remarked, "Murder is a grave crime and because life cannot be restored in any way once taken, it carries a very heavy responsibility." The case garnered widespread attention in South Korea, a nation where private firearm ownership is highly restricted.

Following the incident, investigators uncovered several flammable materials and an ignition device at the shooter's residence in northern Seoul, set to detonate the following day. The investigation revealed that the man had been planning the crime since August 2024, after being cut off from family financial support. Investigators concluded that the man had developed a delusion that his former wife and son intended to isolate him.