'Korean American sentenced to 3 years for wielding a weapon at a stranger'

A man in his 40s with U.S. citizenship was sentenced to prison in a citizen trial for injuring a stranger by wielding a weapon on New Year's Day.

The Criminal Division 11 of the Seoul Western District Court (Presiding Judge Bae Seong-jung) sentenced Choi Mo (45), a Korean-American who was indicted on charges of special assault and detained, to three years in prison on the 12th in a citizen trial.

The court stated, "It can be sufficiently recognized that the defendant stabbed the victim with a weapon and caused injury," and ruled him guilty.

The court explained the sentencing by saying, "Although the defendant's mental illness appears to have influenced the crime to some extent, the fact that he used a pre-prepared weapon to injure a stranger without any particular reason in a public place with many passersby is a serious offense."

Seoul Western District Court, Mapo-gu, Seoul.
Photo by Yonhap News

All seven jurors who participated in the trial also found him guilty. Among them, six recommended a three-year prison sentence, and one recommended five years.

During the trial, the key issue was whether Choi actually stabbed the victim with a weapon, as he denied the charges.

Before the jury verdict, the prosecution requested a five-year prison sentence, stating, "The defendant refuses to testify despite objective evidence, completely denies the crime, and shows no remorse or effort to restore the victim's damage."

Choi’s defense attorney mentioned his history of mental illness treatment and appealed to the jury and the court for leniency, saying, "Instead of heavy punishment, consideration and attention are needed on how to rehabilitate and treat him."

A, a U.S. citizen, was indicted on charges of stabbing a man in his 20s whom he met for the first time in an alley in Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, at 7:22 p.m. on January 1 this year, causing injuries requiring six weeks of medical treatment.

The citizen trial system, implemented in South Korea since 2008, is a jury trial system where the jury's verdict on guilt and sentencing recommendations are not legally binding but are taken into account by the court in sentencing.