"Man in his 50s Stalking 'Engaged to Baehyun-jin' Visits Funeral Hall, Sentenced to 1 Year and 6 Months in Prison"

Assemblyman Bae Visits Grandmother's Funeral Hall to Cause Disturbance
Also Posts Sexually Derogatory Content on SNS

A man in his 50s accused of stalking People Power Party lawmaker Bae Hyun-jin and posting derogatory content about her on social networking services (SNS) was sentenced to prison in the first trial.

On the 30th, the Seoul Eastern District Court Criminal Division 11 (Presiding Judge Kang Min-ho) sentenced Choi (59), who was indicted for violating the Stalking Punishment Act and spreading false information under the Public Official Election Act, to 1 year and 6 months in prison and ordered 3 years of probation, according to Yonhap News Agency.

People Power Party's Bae Hyun-jin [Photo by Yonhap News]

Choi is accused of repeatedly stalking lawmaker Bae more than hundreds of times from February 29 to April 5 by posting sexually derogatory or false information about her on Facebook and contacting her directly. He also posted photos taken with Bae during her election campaign activities and her official portrait on SNS, along with derogatory phrases about her.

In addition, Choi reportedly caused a disturbance at the funeral hall of Seoul Asan Medical Center, where Bae’s grandmother’s funeral was held in March, claiming that he was "engaged to lawmaker Bae" and that they "kept in contact." The police, who responded to the report at the time, warned Choi that he could be punished under the Stalking Punishment Act and sent him home, but Choi continued to post sexually insulting and false information about Bae. Eventually, Bae’s side filed a complaint against Choi at the Songpa Police Station in Seoul. When Choi did not comply with the police summons, he was arrested and handed over to the prosecution in custody.

The prosecution requested a 3-year prison sentence for Choi and asked the court to order the attachment of an electronic location tracking device (electronic anklet). However, the court rejected this request and only issued a probation order. The court explained, "The punishment in this case alone is sufficient to prevent recidivism and rehabilitate the defendant," and added, "It does not appear that the defendant will engage in stalking to the extent that location tracking beyond probation is necessary after the completion of the sentence."

The court noted, "The victim likely experienced considerable fear and anxiety due to the defendant’s crimes," and pointed out, "The defendant committed the crime during the probation period after being sentenced to prison for previous offenses." Regarding the sentencing rationale, the court explained, "Although the damage was severe and strict punishment corresponding to the responsibility is necessary, the defendant’s eventual admission of the crime was taken into consideration."