Pastor Cheon Gi-won, known as the so-called 'Schindler of Asia' for helping 1,000 North Korean residents defect, was sentenced to five years in prison again in the second trial for sexually assaulting North Korean defector youths.
Pastor Cheon Gi-won, accused of sexually assaulting North Korean defector youths, is seen leaving after completing the pre-arrest detention hearing at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on the morning of August 21 last year. [Image source=Yonhap News]
On the 16th, the Seoul High Court Criminal Division 12-1 (Presiding Judges Hong Ji-young, Bang Woong-hwan, Kim Hyung-bae) sentenced Cheon, who was tried on charges including violation of the Youth Protection Act (forcible molestation), to five years in prison. The court also ordered him to complete an 80-hour sexual violence treatment program and imposed a five-year employment ban at institutions related to children, adolescents, and persons with disabilities.
The court stated, "The defendant sexually molested five child and adolescent victims from 2016 to 2023, sexually abused them, and forcibly molested a 19-year-old victim. Considering the circumstances, methods, content, and frequency of the crimes, the nature of the offense is severe."
Furthermore, the court pointed out, "All the victims are students who are either North Korean defectors or children of defectors, and the defendant, as both principal and pastor, committed the crimes from a position of absolute influence over the victims, which is highly condemnable."
It added, "The defendant vehemently denied the crimes and showed no remorse. He only paid certain amounts of money to some victims to cover up the incident and did not make efforts to restore the victims. The court considered the victims' desire for punishment in sentencing."
Cheon was prosecuted on charges of sexually assaulting six North Korean defector youths or children of defectors eight times at the dormitory of an alternative school where he served as principal from 2016 to 2023. The first trial court sentenced him to five years in prison and ordered completion of an 80-hour sexual violence treatment program and a five-year employment ban at institutions related to children, adolescents, and persons with disabilities.
Meanwhile, Cheon gained recognition after foreign media introduced him as the 'Schindler of Asia' for helping 1,000 North Korean residents defect since 1999.
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