"Whatever"…50s Woman Sits on 20s Man's Knee After Refusing to Share Table

Court Sentences Fine of 5 Million Won and Others

A woman in her 50s who demanded to share a table with a group of men in their 20s at an outdoor restaurant table, and after being refused, spat on the food and forcibly molested them, was sentenced to a fine.

According to the legal community on the 14th, the Chuncheon District Court Yeongwol Branch sentenced A (54) to a fine of 5 million won for property damage and forcible molestation charges. Along with this, she was ordered to complete a 40-hour sexual violence treatment program.

(This photo is not directly related to the article.) [Photo by Getty Images Bank]

A was indicted for spitting on the grilled intestines barbecue pan of B (male, 20) and his group at an outdoor table in front of a late-night snack restaurant in Yeongwol-gun, Gangwon Province, in the early morning of August 13 last year.

It was investigated that A ate B’s group’s food without permission, and when B stopped her, she spat on the food. At that time, even though B asked her to "please leave," A reportedly said, "I don’t care," and sat on the lap of B, who was 34 years younger. She was also charged with forcible molestation for touching B’s groin and other important body parts.

In court, A and her lawyer denied the charges, claiming that she did not spit on the grill pan. Regarding the forcible molestation charge, they argued, “She lost her balance while wearing high heels and accidentally sat on B’s lap, and there was no intentional crime.”

However, the court recognized A’s forcible molestation charge based on videos recorded by B and others.

The video confirmed that even though B’s group asked A to leave, A did not listen and said, “I don’t care,” while sitting on B’s lap. Regarding A’s property damage charge, the court did not accept A’s side’s claims, citing the testimony of the late-night snack restaurant owner and others as evidence.

Article 298 of the Criminal Act states, “A person who molests another by assault or intimidation shall be punished by imprisonment for not more than 10 years or a fine not exceeding 15 million won.” Article 366 of the Criminal Act states, “A person who damages or conceals another’s property, documents, or electronic records by other means shall be punished by imprisonment for not more than 3 years or a fine not exceeding 7 million won.”

The court stated the sentencing reasons, saying, “The defendant, intoxicated, demanded to share a table with the victim’s group at the restaurant, and when refused, spat on the grill pan, damaging its utility, and molested the victim by touching the groin, so the defendant’s responsibility is not light,” but also considered “the fact that the defendant has no prior record exceeding a fine” in determining the sentence.