Kim was also convicted of abandoning the bodies and siphoning off 2.4 million won ($2,100) from the victims.

Prosecutors accused Kim of stealing another 720 million won from their account, but the court acquitted him of the charges, citing a lack of evidence.

"Taking away a person's life is a crime that cannot be tolerated under any reason," the court said. "The bereaved families of the victims are expected to live the rest of their lives suffering from huge losses, but the defendant did not take any action that could cure their suffering or sadness."

Park, the main culprit of the case, was arrested late last month in the Philippines after escaping from a detention center where he was held. He was originally arrested in November last year, before fleeing in March.

The Philippines authorities are taking steps to extradite Park to South Korea.

Concerns about the safety of South Korean residents and travelers have risen in recent years due to a flurry of South Korean deaths in the Philippines, mostly driven by profit motives. The number of South Koreans killed in the Philippines stood at 11 in 2015 and nine in 2016. (Yonhap)