Social Service Agent Sentenced to Prison in Appeal for Absence to Evade Debt Collectors

Absent from Work Due to Loan Shark's Visit
Six-Month Prison Sentence Upheld in Appeal
Court Dismisses Appeal, Citing No Grounds for Change

A social service agent who failed to report to work in order to evade debt collectors was sentenced to prison again in the appellate court.

According to the legal community on May 3, the Jeonju District Court Criminal Division 3-3 (Presiding Judge Jung Sejin) dismissed the appeal of social service agent A (24), who was indicted on charges of violating the Military Service Act, and upheld the original sentence of six months in prison handed down in the first trial.

A was put on trial for failing to report to his assigned workplace in Jeongeup, North Jeolla Province, without a valid reason for a total of eight days: August 31 last year, February 8 this year, and from February 13 to 20 this year, excluding holidays. Previously, A had been sentenced to one year and six months in prison with a three-year suspended sentence for fraud in 2022. After completing basic military training, he was serving as a social service agent.

In court, A admitted to the charges and stated, "A loan shark came to my workplace and publicly humiliated me, so I was afraid to go to work." His lawyer argued that "if this case results in a prison sentence during the suspension period, he will have to serve a total of two years in prison," and claimed that this was excessively harsh for a young defendant.

However, the court did not accept these arguments. The appellate court stated, "The original court appears to have considered both favorable and unfavorable circumstances for the defendant in determining the sentence," and "since there are no new circumstances in the appellate stage that would warrant a change in the sentence, it is appropriate to uphold the original judgment." Claims of excessive sentencing and requests for bail were also dismissed.