A Seoul appeals court reduced the prison sentence for the adoptive mother of a 16-month-old infant, better known as "Jeongin," who was convicted of abusing her adopted daughter to death.

The Seoul High Court on Friday ordered a 35-year sentence for the mother, identified by her surname Jang, commuting her initial life imprisonment term that was handed down by a lower court.

The court maintained a five-year sentence for the adoptive father, surnamed An, on charges of aiding and abetting and emotional abuse. It also stayed orders for a 200-hour child abuse prevention program and a ten-year ban on employment at child-related facilities on both parents.

Convicting Jang of murder, the appellate court said there is not enough evidence to substantiate premeditation, and that her inability to control stress may have led to her crimes.

The court also called for systematic improvements and increased social awareness,
denoting the public outrage that likely stemmed from not only the actual crimes, but also the inadequate the social safety net that failed to prevent the toddler's death,