Charged with Desecration of the National Flag and Other Offenses...Prosecution Seeks 1 Year and 6 Months Imprisonment
The Taegeukgi and the Rising Sun Flag. Photo unrelated to the article content. [Image source=Yonhap News]
On the day of Gyeongsul National Humiliation (August 29, 1910), when Korea lost its sovereignty to Japanese colonial rule, the prosecution sought a prison sentence for a man in his 30s who burned the Taegeukgi and raised the Rising Sun Flag.
On the 11th, at the sentencing trial held before Judge Lee Ju-young of the 17th Criminal Division at the Incheon District Court, the prosecution requested a sentence of 1 year and 6 months imprisonment for Mr. A (36), who was charged with desecration of the national flag and other offenses.
In his closing argument, A’s defense attorney said, "The defendant admits all the charges and is deeply remorseful," and appealed for leniency, citing "the impulsive nature of the crime due to mental illness." The attorney further argued, "Since scenes of flag desecration often appear during protests, the defendant believed freedom of expression would be permitted," and added, "After the crime, he realized this was problematic and is reflecting on his actions."
In his final statement, Mr. A said, "Through this incident, I realized that committing a crime inevitably leads to arrest and that there are no secrets in the world," and promised, "I will never commit a crime again and will diligently receive treatment to prevent impulsive behavior."
Mr. A was indicted without detention on charges of secretly entering a middle school in Incheon around 1:24 a.m. on August 29 last year, taking down the Taegeukgi from the flagpole, scribbling "Dokdo is Japanese territory, Yu Gwansun XXX" in red pen, and burning part of the flag. At the time, he also hung the Rising Sun Flag on the flagpole instead of the Taegeukgi. The day Mr. A committed the crime was the Gyeongsul National Humiliation Day.
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