The prosecution has appealed the first trial verdict that sentenced the mastermind and supplier of the 'Gangnam academy district drug beverage' case to 15 years and 10 years in prison, respectively.
On the 1st, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office announced that it filed appeals against the first trial sentences of each defendant in this case, citing inappropriate sentencing.
On April 10th, Gil Mo (wearing black in the back), involved in manufacturing and distributing drug beverages, and Kim Mo (wearing gray in the front), who participated in manipulating threatening phone call numbers, are seen entering the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-dong to attend the warrant hearing.
A prosecution official stated, "This case involves defendants who deceived innocent youth victims by disguising a drug administration as a beverage tasting event, secretly administering drugs, and systematically committing voice phishing crimes. They targeted unspecified youths as victims of drug crimes and maliciously attempted to extort money from the victims' parents."
He added, "Furthermore, the voice phishing recruiter was the one who inducted the main perpetrator of this case into the voice phishing criminal group. We judged this to be a serious matter where not a single defendant could be lightly punished," explaining the reason for the appeal.
The official said, "The prosecution will actively maintain the charges in the appellate trial to prevent recurrence and ensure that the defendants receive sentences commensurate with the severity of their crimes. We will also work closely with the police to swiftly arrest and extradite the main perpetrators currently residing in China."
Earlier, the 26th Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Court (Presiding Judge Jeong Jin-ah) sentenced Gil (26), who was indicted for violating the Narcotics Control Act (psychotropic substances) and joining and participating in a criminal organization, to 15 years in prison for manufacturing and supplying drug beverages on the 26th.
The court recognized all the charges against Gil, including the highest penalty offense of 'administering drugs to minors for profit,' as guilty but handed down a much lighter sentence than the prosecution's demand of 22 years in prison.
Additionally, the court sentenced Kim (39), who managed the relay devices, to 8 years in prison; Park (36), who supplied the drugs, to 10 years; and Lee (41), the recruiter for the voice phishing criminal group, to 7 years in prison.
During the sentencing hearing, the prosecution had requested 12 years for Kim, 13 years for Park, and 12 years for Lee.
In April, they held a beverage tasting event around the Gangnam academy district in Seoul, distributing drinks containing drugs to students under the pretense of 'concentration-enhancing' beverages.
The main perpetrator Gil was tried on charges including manufacturing drug beverages with the voice phishing boss in China, administering them to minors, and attempting to extort money using this as leverage.
Kim was indicted for assisting threatening calls by using modified relay devices to convert Chinese internet phone numbers into domestic numbers, and Park was charged with receiving 10 grams of methamphetamine through the 'throwing method' and delivering it to Gil.
The prosecution additionally arrested and indicted Lee, who was investigated as a voice phishing recruiter in the same organization as these suspects, on charges of joining and participating in a criminal organization.
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