Law: "A major disaster could have followed inside the building"
HDC Hyundai Development Company: "Payment conditions under the contract not met"
"Despite the damage, we empathize with the difficulties and provide partial compensation"
[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Gyumin] The head of a real estate brokerage service company received a suspended sentence in the first trial for threatening with thinner after HDC Hyundai Development Company (HDC Hyunsan) failed to pay several hundred million won in service fees.
On the 22nd of last month, Judge Jeong Cheolmin of the Seoul Western District Court Criminal Division 7 sentenced Mr. A (59), who was indicted on charges of special threats, to one year in prison with a two-year suspension. Additionally, he was ordered to perform 120 hours of community service.
According to the court, on May 10th at 2:32 p.m., Mr. A visited the HDC Hyunsan headquarters meeting room located in Yongsan-gu. He got into an argument with employee Mr. B over the payment of real estate brokerage service fees, and in anger, he spread a pre-prepared banner on the table. On top of it, he placed one can of thinner, four smoke bombs, and five fireworks, and threatened, “If the service fees are not paid, I will set off the fireworks,” inserting his finger into the safety ring of the smoke bomb.
Later, to the company lawyer Mr. C, who came in to talk with Mr. A, he also said, “If you don’t resolve the (service fee) issue, I will set it off.”
Mr. A had signed a real estate service contract with HDC Hyunsan but had not received several hundred million won in service fees at the time of the incident. Judge Jeong stated in the verdict, “This case arose because Mr. A did not receive the service fees from HDC Hyunsan.”
He added, “The defendant confessed and is remorseful, and aside from a fine, there are no other criminal records,” and “The defendant has amicably settled with the victims, and the victims do not wish for the defendant’s punishment.”
However, Judge Jeong explained the sentencing reason, “This case involved threatening the victims using dangerous items such as thinner, smoke bombs, and fireworks inside the building, which could have led to a major disaster, so the nature of the crime is serious.”
HDC Hyunsan stated, “We did not pay (the service fees) because the contractual payment conditions were not met,” but also said, “Although we suffered significant damage from the threats, we sympathized with (Mr. A’s) difficulties, preserved part of the service fees, and reached an amicable agreement through a non-prosecution request.”
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