[Asia Economy Reporter Baek Kyunghwan] Park So-yeon, former CEO of CARE, who was prosecuted for holding an unreported assembly and disrupting the assembly of the Korea Dog Meat Association, was sentenced to a fine in the first trial.
On the 3rd, Chief Judge Choi Chang-seok of the Criminal Division 8 at the Seoul Central District Court applied the Assembly and Demonstration Act to former CEO Park and sentenced her to a fine of 1.5 million won.
Former CEO Park was indicted for holding an unreported assembly in September 2017 and disrupting the 'Legalization of Dog Meat Consumption' assembly held by the Korea Dog Meat Association around Gwanghwamun in Jongno-gu, Seoul.
The prosecution filed a summary indictment against former CEO Park, but she appealed and requested a formal trial. Her side denied the charges, stating, "As the head of an animal protection organization, she went to rescue dogs," and "There was no typical appearance of a march or assembly at the scene, and there was no intention to disrupt the assembly." Former CEO Park did not attend the hearing that day. In cases where the defendant appeals a summary order and requests a formal trial, the defendant is not obligated to appear in court for the sentencing hearing.
Meanwhile, separate from this case, former CEO Park is also on trial for violating the Animal Protection Act by euthanizing 98 animals between 2015 and 2018 to secure space in an animal shelter and reduce animal treatment costs.
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