A merchant who damaged a facility installed at the Itaewon disaster memorial space avoided criminal punishment by apologizing to the bereaved families. The prosecution decided to suspend the indictment against the merchant.
The Criminal Division 1 of the Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Kim Sang-hyun) announced on the 26th that Mr. A, who was booked on charges of property damage for damaging the memorial facility installed at the Itaewon disaster site, was recently given a suspended indictment. A suspended indictment means that although the criminal charges are recognized, the suspect is not brought to trial considering mitigating circumstances.
Mr. A is accused of tearing off notes and sheets attached to the memorial wall while passing through an alley next to the Hamilton Hotel, where the Itaewon disaster occurred, in a drunken state last January, causing property damage worth about 100,000 won.
During the investigation, it was revealed that Mr. A committed the act because he believed the memorial facility was causing damage to his business. The prosecution received the case from the police and referred it to criminal mediation. Criminal mediation is a procedure where mediators help parties involved in cases with a high possibility of settlement, such as minor assault, injury, property damage, and defamation, to resolve disputes amicably.
Mr. A delivered a letter of apology to the bereaved families, stating, "I sincerely apologize for my wrongful actions," and "If there is anything I can do together with the bereaved families in the future, I will participate." The bereaved families also expressed that they do not wish for Mr. A to be punished.
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