15-year term sought for editor at Japanese comic publisher over death of his wife

Prosecutors on Tuesday sought a 15-year prison term for the editor of a hit comic magazine over the death of his wife in 2016.

Pak Jong Hyon, 43, deputy editor of major publisher Kodansha Ltd.'s Morning magazine, was indicted in January 2017 on a charge of choking his wife, Kanako, 38, to death at their home in Tokyo around Aug. 9, 2016.

Pak was among of the firm's workers who launched the monthly Bessatsu Shonen Magazine, which carries the popular manga series "Attack on Titan."

He denied the charge at the first hearing of his trial earlier this month, and his defense lawyers said the case was a suicide.

At the Tokyo District Court, prosecutors claimed Tuesday Pak "conducted the cruel crime with a solid intention to kill" the wife.

The prosecutors had earlier said Pak "suddenly developed a murderous intent after his wife complained about his lack of support in doing household chores and raising their children and spoke ill of his mother." They also maintained that he pushed his wife down some stairs after choking her in a bedroom.

Pak joined Kodansha in April 1999 after graduating from Kyoto University. The Morning magazine features hit comics such as "Space Brothers" and "Cooking Papa."