[Asia Economy Reporter Byeon Seon-jin] A couple was fined for making noise with a woofer speaker, known as a retaliatory speaker for inter-floor noise, due to noise from the upstairs neighbors.
According to the legal community on the 10th, Judge Oh Myung-hee of the Criminal Division 3 at Daejeon District Court sentenced the couple, Mr. and Mrs. A (40), who were indicted for violating the Act on the Punishment of Stalking Crimes, to a fine of 7 million won and ordered them to complete 40 hours of a stalking treatment program.
The couple living in an apartment in Daejeon were brought to trial on charges of installing a woofer speaker on the ceiling in October last year and broadcasting 12-hour-long sounds mixed with daily noises such as footsteps and chair scraping, as well as death metal and ghost sounds, toward the upstairs neighbors 10 times until early January this year. Acts that cause anxiety and fear by delivering sounds against the will of the other party can also be subject to punishment.
During the final defense at the sentencing hearing, the couple’s lawyer pleaded for leniency, saying, "They were angry about the upstairs noise and committed a foolish act, but they will live harmoniously without disputes with neighbors in the future." Judge Oh stated the reason for sentencing, "The defendants’ crimes continued for a considerable period, causing significant suffering not only to the victims but also to the neighbors. Considering that they have not been forgiven by the victims, the guilt is not light, but the fact that they admitted the crime and showed remorse was taken into account."
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