A man in his 70s who started a fire at an apartment in Dobong-gu, Seoul on Christmas morning 2023 was sentenced to imprisonment again in the second trial.
The Seoul Northern District Court Criminal Appeal Division 1-2 (Presiding Judge Won Jeong-sook) dismissed the appeal of Kim, who was charged with aggravated negligence causing death, on the 1st and upheld the original verdict.
The court ruled that "the cigarette ember that was not completely extinguished ignited adjacent objects," and "there were cigarette butts smoked by the defendant, and flammable materials such as a calendar existed on the desk."
Additionally, the court explained the sentencing reasons, stating, "The defendant smoked in the room where there were many flammable materials, and without taking fire prevention measures such as notifying the fire station, opened the front door allowing the fire to spread," and "Nearby residents suffered from dust and soot, and the deceased lost their one and only life."
It continued, "The defendant showed an attitude of evading responsibility for this crime, did not show any intention to restore the victim's damages, and was not forgiven by the victims or their bereaved families," adding, "There are no new circumstances that could be considered favorable for the defendant after the original trial, and rather, the victims have been pleading for severe punishment up to this appeal."
Kim was charged with causing a fire at his third-floor apartment in Banghak-dong, Dobong-gu, around 4:57 a.m. on December 25, 2023, while smoking, which resulted in the deaths of three residents and caused serious injuries to 26 others.
Previously, the first trial court judged that the fire was caused by Kim’s failure to completely extinguish the cigarette butt and sentenced him to five years in prison in September last year. This is the maximum statutory sentence for aggravated negligence causing death or injury.
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