‘Jingman’ Hwang Cheol-soon, Who Assaulted a Woman, Sentenced to 9 Months in Prison on Appeal

Health trainer Hwang Cheol-soon (40), who was prosecuted for assaulting a female acquaintance, received a reduced sentence in the appellate court.

On the 13th, the Seoul Central District Court Criminal Appeal Division 2-1 (Presiding Judges Kwak Jeong-han, Kang Hee-seok, Jo Eun-ah) overturned the original sentence of one year imprisonment and sentenced Hwang, who was charged with assault causing injury, to nine months in prison. Hwang gained recognition as "Jingman" on the tvN program Comedy Big League in the past.

The court stated, "The defendant denied the crime with implausible claims during the first trial, and the fact that he has a prior record of punishment for similar crimes are unfavorable sentencing factors," but added, "He admitted to all the crimes during this appeal and showed remorse several times."

Hwang was charged with hitting the face and head of the victim, Ms. A, more than 20 times and repeatedly kicking her face with his foot in an outdoor parking lot of a building in Yeosu-si, Jeollanam-do, on October 16 last year.

It was also investigated that Hwang grabbed Ms. A’s hair, dragged her to a vehicle, seated her in the front passenger seat, and assaulted her with his hands. During this process, he threw Ms. A’s cellphone to the ground, breaking it, and punched the driver’s door, denting it. Ms. A sustained injuries including fractures that required three weeks of treatment.

On August 1 of the same year, Hwang was also investigated for assaulting Ms. A at his home by hitting her head two to three times and pulling her hair.

On July 1, the first trial court recognized all charges against Hwang as guilty, sentenced him to one year in prison, and ordered his detention in court.