Assaulted with a Metal Hanger Rod for "Violating Company Rules"
Court: "Nature of the Crime is Bad... Settlement Considered"
The former agency CEO who assaulted a minor male idol group member with a blunt weapon was sentenced to probation in the first trial.
According to the legal community on the 29th, Kim, who worked as the agency CEO until June last year, is accused of visiting the dormitory and assaulting member A of the agency's idol group because he was dating a manager within the company.
At the time, Kim, intoxicated, went to the idol group's dormitory and confronted A about violating company regulations and contract terms by having an office romance. When A denied it, Kim called him a liar and repeatedly struck his thighs and buttocks with a metal hanger rod. Kim is also accused of hitting the heads of other group members B and C, who were in the same group as A, with the metal hanger rod, citing the dormitory bathroom being dirty.
Accordingly, the police sent Kim to prosecution without detention last year on charges of special injury, special assault, and child abuse. It is known that the police investigation began after the assaulted member directly reported Kim. The police applied for an arrest warrant for Kim, but the court dismissed it, citing that Kim had reached an agreement with the members and there was no flight risk.
On the 14th, Judge Lee Kyung-sun of the Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 16 held the first trial sentencing for Kim, sentencing him to one year in prison with three years of probation and ordering 120 hours of community service. Additionally, a fine of 5 million won was imposed for the agency's violation of the Child Welfare Act.
The court stated, "The defendant repeatedly assaulted a child who was unable to resist or defend himself with a hanger rod he had beforehand, causing injuries requiring four weeks of treatment," and pointed out, "The assault was so severe that the hanger broke." It continued, "He also struck the heads of other victims who are singers in the same agency with the hanger rod, which is highly dangerous considering the assault method and target area," and explained, "Considering the circumstances at the time of the crime, the nature of the offense is bad."
However, the court took into account favorable factors such as the defendant admitting to all charges and stepping down from the CEO position, reaching a settlement of 80 million won with some victims, settling with all other victims as well, and having no prior criminal record exceeding fines or similar offenses.
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