'Star Chef Sentenced to 4 Months in Prison for Assaulting Acquaintance and Threatening with a Weapon'

Famous chef Jung Chang-wook (43), who was tried for assaulting an acquaintance and threatening with a weapon, has been sentenced to four months in prison.

[Photo by SNS capture]

The Supreme Court's 2nd Division (Presiding Justice Min Yoo-sook) confirmed the original court ruling on the 27th of last month, which sentenced Jung, who was indicted without detention on charges including special intimidation and assault, to four months in prison, according to reports by Money Today and others on the 22nd.

Jung, who was sentenced to four months in prison at the appellate trial held on October 27 last year, appealed on the grounds of excessive sentencing. The Supreme Court dismissed the appeal, stating it was "not a legitimate reason for appeal," and concluded the trial. According to the Criminal Procedure Act, appeals on the grounds of excessive sentencing are only permitted in cases where the death penalty, life imprisonment, or imprisonment or detention of 10 years or more is imposed.

Jung was brought to trial on charges of assaulting YouTube channel staff members A and B and threatening them with a weapon from the kitchen after finishing filming in Hawaii, USA, in August 2021, allegedly because he was angry. He was also charged with verbally abusing and threatening staff member A with a weapon during a dispute related to YouTube filming at his restaurant in Seoul in June of the same year.

The first trial sentenced Jung to 10 months in prison, but the appellate court overturned the original ruling and reduced the sentence to four months. The appellate court noted, "Considering the circumstances and means of the crime, the nature of the offense is very serious," and added, "The victims likely suffered significant psychological shock and have petitioned for severe punishment." However, it also stated, "Considering that the defendant deposited 30 million won each and admitted to all the crimes, the sentence in the first trial was too heavy," explaining the reasons for the reduced sentence.

Jung has avoided detention in both the first and second trials and has been tried without detention. Following the confirmation of the verdict, it is reported that the prosecution is proceeding with the execution of the prison sentence against Jung Chang-wook.

Jung Chang-wook, a fourth-generation Korean-Japanese, gained fame by appearing on JTBC's "Please Take Care of My Refrigerator" in 2014, and subsequently appeared on various programs while running a cooking YouTube channel to communicate with fans. In January 2022, the assault case became known when staff member A of Jung's YouTube channel released a video containing Jung's verbal abuse and threats. Jung stated, "This is clearly my fault," and added, "I will strive to restore the damages to the two parties involved. I will sincerely comply with and face the judgment of the judicial authorities."