A man in his 30s, who left a criminal organization and is now running a cleaning business, appealed to the court for leniency, mentioning his girlfriend who is about to give birth.
According to Yonhap News, on June 5, during the final hearing of the case against Mr. A (32) for violating the Act on the Punishment of Violent Acts (joining and participating in a criminal organization), held at the Jeonju District Court Gunsan Branch, Criminal Division 1 (presiding judge Baek Sangbin), the defense attorney disclosed the filing of a bail application and requested that the defendant be allowed to stand trial without detention. The defense attorney stated, "The defendant joined the criminal organization out of foolishness," and added, "He is fully aware of the gravity of his wrongdoing, but please take into consideration that he withdrew from the organization on his own, albeit belatedly."
Mr. A said, "I joined the organization because I fell in with the wrong crowd as a child," and added, "From now on, I will work hard running my cleaning business." He continued, "My girlfriend is due to give birth in September, so I will soon become a father," repeatedly bowing his head to the court as he pleaded for leniency. The court stated that it would comprehensively consider various factors, including the circumstances of Mr. A's crime and the risk of flight, before deciding whether to grant bail.
Mr. A stood trial on charges of joining a domestic criminal organization in 2017 and serving as an active member. The prosecution argued that simply joining and participating in a criminal organization warrants severe punishment, and on this day requested a two-year prison sentence for Mr. A. The sentencing hearing for Mr. A is scheduled for July 3.
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