A Man in His 40s Sentenced to 2 Years Imprisonment for Detaining an Acquaintance in a Water-Filled Underground Bunker

Locked in the Barge Where He Lives for 5 Days
Threatened Paramedics by Showing Tattoos

A man in his 40s who confined an acquaintance on a barge where he lived and then imprisoned him by filling an underground bunker with water, subjecting him to harsh treatment for five days, was sentenced to prison.

On the 1st, the Criminal Division 2 of Chuncheon District Court (Chief Judge Kim Seong-rae) sentenced A (46), who was indicted on charges of aggravated confinement causing injury and obstruction of official duties, to two years in prison, according to Yonhap News Agency. A was tried for confining his acquaintance B (50) on the barge where he lived from June 27 to July 1, subjecting him to harsh treatment, and causing injuries requiring two weeks of medical treatment.

Chuncheon District Court Exterior

On June 27 at around 1:30 a.m., A entered B’s house in Hwacheon-gun, Gangwon Province, woke B who was sleeping at the time, put him in a vehicle, and drank alcohol together inside the car. A told B that he had killed someone, and frightened by this, B said he wanted to go home. Angered, A forcibly took B, who was trying to leave, to his barge docked at a recreational area and made him board the boat.

He shaved B’s hair with an electric clipper and punched or struck him with a blunt object, saying, "You’re dead," and "You have 13 hours left." He then forced B into a sealed underground bunker, inserted a hose to fill it with water, and kept B confined there for about an hour.

After B came out of the bunker, A made him ride a swing installed over the river next to the barge and threatened him by pushing and pulling the swing’s ropes, saying, "I’ll cut two hours off." Feeling extreme fear, B jumped into the river attempting suicide, but A brought him back and continued the harsh treatment.

A ordered B to buy alcohol and food, forced him to take a shower, continuously poured shampoo on B’s head, and after B finished washing, assaulted him by punching his head. Five days later, on July 1, A instructed B to bring a firearm and sent him home, but when B did not come out of the house, A threatened in front of B’s mother in her 70s, saying, "If you don’t come out quickly, I’ll kill you with a rock."

Additionally, A is also charged with threatening emergency medical personnel on July 20 by showing his tattoos and saying, "I’ll kill you," because they did not immediately transport him to the hospital after a 119 emergency call. At that time, while preparing a weapon at home and walking toward the paramedics, A attempted self-harm or suddenly lunged at the paramedics when police arrived with a Taser after a 112 call.

The court stated, "Due to the defendant’s crimes, the victim likely suffered significant physical and mental pain, and the public officials involved also experienced extreme anxiety and fear," and pointed out, "The defendant has a history of multiple criminal punishments for violent crimes."

Regarding the sentencing, the court explained, "Considering that the victim of the aggravated confinement causing injury crime reached a settlement and expressed a desire not to punish the defendant, and that the defendant deposited 500,000 won each for the victimized public officials, the sentence was determined comprehensively."