Man Who Broke Court Window Sentenced to One Year in Prison
A man in his 30s who was put on trial for assaulting a broadcast cameraman during the Western District Court riot has received a suspended prison sentence in the first trial.
The police are erecting a signboard at the rear gate of the court during the Western District Court riot. Photo by Yonhap News
On May 28, Park Jiweon, the presiding judge of the Criminal Division 1 of the Seoul Western District Court, sentenced Park (37), who was indicted on charges including aggravated assault and aggravated property damage, to one year in prison with a two-year suspension, and ordered 120 hours of community service. Previously, prosecutors had requested a two-year prison sentence for Park.
Judge Park stated, "The defendant's crime is serious, as he exercised violence using collective force solely because the victim was an employee of a particular media company." However, the judge also noted, "The defendant did not participate in the court intrusion, committed the crime impulsively, and the victim does not wish for punishment."
According to the prosecution, on January 19, Park is accused of grabbing the camera of a broadcast cameraman who was filming on the road in front of the Western District Court, kicking the cameraman, and inflicting injuries that required two weeks of treatment.
Meanwhile, on the same day, Kim Jinseong, the presiding judge of Criminal Division 6 of the Western District Court, sentenced Cho (41), who was put on trial on charges including aggravated damage to public property and aggravated trespassing, to one year in prison.
Cho is known to have thrown a glass bottle, breaking a court window, and trespassed on court premises during the Western District Court riot.
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