A South Korean court has sentenced a sports gambling-addicted man to five years in prison for trying to bludgeon his mother to death.
The man, aged 28, consulted an undisclosed AI app before the violent attack, the South Korean newspaper Kookmin Ilbo reported.
Prosecutors told the court that the man used the prompts: “What would happen if I were hit hard on the head with a blunt object?” and “Is it more dangerous to be hit on the side or the back of the head?”
The attack comes as gambling addiction rates continue to rise in South Korea, along with violent gambling-related crime.
They have also reported a rise in juvenile crime linked to illegal betting.
The Incheon District Court and Presiding Judge Son Seung-beom heard that the incident took place at 8:30 a.m. on February 19 at an apartment in Yeonsu District, Incheon.
South Korean Gambling Addict Hit Mother 10 Times
Police and paramedics rushed to the scene after the gambling addict began striking his mother with an undisclosed blunt object.
The addict’s father, who was sleeping at the time, rushed into the room after hearing his wife’s screams.
The addict struck his 57-year-old mother 10 times with the weapon, drawing a considerable amount of blood.
Prosecutors told the court the accused became addicted to illegal sports gambling in 2023. He had taken out a range of loans from banks and later borrowed 200 million won ($130,000) from his mother to repay the loans.
However, the court heard, the addict used all of this money to gamble, losing every penny.
“I have money in my account, but I can’t repay my loans because the bank has frozen my accounts,” he told his mother.
However, his mother refused to believe this explanation and told her son she would go to the bank to check on the veracity of his story.
Prosecutors told the court that, out of fear she would discover his lies, the addict planned to attack her – and turned to AI for help.
“The defendant looked into the specific methods and consequences of his crime using an AI app,” Judge Son said in sentencing. “He clearly recognized and considered the possibility that his mother could die during the attack.”
Parents Ask Court for Leniency
The man’s mother appeared as a witness in court. She asked the panel of judges for leniency. The woman told the court that although she was hospitalized with her wounds, the injuries “were not serious.”
The man’s father also petitioned the court for leniency.
Judge Son said the court had taken the parents’ appeals into consideration, but called the crime “inhumane.”
“The circumstances and motive are extremely reprehensible,” said the judge. “The defendant committed the crime to conceal the fact that he had squandered money borrowed from his mother in gambling sessions.”
Controversy has been growing over stock exchange investment in South Korea in recent weeks. Critics have called on the government to block access to crypto-powered KOSPI derivatives on Binance.
Experts say the products, which let investors access up to 50x leverage on blue-chip stocks like Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, are a form of gambling.
