A South Korean court has sentenced a teacher to life in prison for fatally stabbing an eight-year-old girl, in a case that shocked the nation.
Myeong Jae-wan, 48, killed Kim Hae-neul, after luring her into a classroom in the central city of Daejeon in February.
Prosecutors had sought the death penalty for Myeong, saying that the victim's family had asked for a harsh punishment.
But the court said that while the risk of reoffending is high, it is difficult to conclude that Myeong must be executed.
Myeong said that she would reflect on her mistakes for the rest of her life. She claimed her judgement had weakened at the time of the stabbing as she was receiving mental health treatment.
Prosecutors noted that Myeong showed no remorse during the investigation. However, she submitted dozens of letters to the court expressing her regret.
Prior to the incident, Myeong had taken a six-month leave of absence citing depression but returned to work 20 days later after being deemed fit by a doctor. The Daejeon education office indicated that she had exhibited violent behavior in the days leading up to the stabbing, including putting another teacher in a headlock.
On the day of the attack, two education officials visited the school to investigate Myeong's previous altercation.
Myeong admitted to bringing the weapon to school with an intention to kill herself along with a random child. She lured Kim into the media room before attacking her. Kim was reported missing after a bus driver alerted the school that she had not arrived for pickup. She was found later that day with stab wounds inside the school.
Myeong also had a wound on her neck, suspected to be self-inflicted.
The leadership in South Korea urged for better safety measures to prevent such tragic incidents in schools.
As part of her sentence, Myeong will be required to wear an electronic tracking device for the next 30 years.
The court remarked, As an elementary school teacher, the accused was in a position to protect the victim. But she committed this brutal crime in which a child was not protected where they should be most safe.\