Court: "No Political Intent Observed"
"The Reality Faced by North Korean Defectors Is an Issue South Korea Must Address"
A North Korean defector in his 30s, identified as Mr. A, who attempted to return to North Korea by stealing a village bus and speeding toward the Unification Bridge, has been sentenced to a suspended prison term of three years.
On June 9, the 1st Criminal Division of the Goyang Branch of the Uijeongbu District Court (Presiding Judge Kim Heesu) announced that Mr. A, who had been indicted and detained on charges including violation of the National Security Act and the Protection of Military Bases and Installations Act, was sentenced to two years in prison, two years of disqualification from certain rights, and three years of probation.
Mr. A was accused of stealing a village bus from a garage in Munsan-eup, Paju, at around 1 a.m. on October 1 last year, and attempting to defect to North Korea by driving it onto the Unification Bridge. He drove approximately 4.5 kilometers from the garage, entered the southern end of the Unification Bridge, and after avoiding a barricade, continued about 800 meters north, before crashing into a barricade in front of the North Gate checkpoint, where he was apprehended on the spot.
Mr. A, originally from Hyesan, Yanggang Province in North Korea, defected alone to South Korea in December 2011. He reportedly made a living by working as a day laborer at construction sites without a steady job. However, after injuring his leg in 2018, his health deteriorated and his economic difficulties worsened. He lived in a goshiwon (a type of small room accommodation) and received basic livelihood support, continuing to live under harsh conditions.
It was determined that, in addition to these hardships, longing for his family still living in North Korea led him to decide to attempt to defect back to the North.
Before his attempt to cross the border, Mr. A visited the local community center and asked a public official about emergency living expenses, reportedly saying, "I think I had illusions about South Korea. Life in North Korea seems much better than life in South Korea. I miss my family in North Korea so much, and I want to go back to North Korea."
The court stated, "It does not appear that Mr. A committed this crime with any political intent to praise or support North Korea as an anti-state organization," and explained the sentencing by saying, "This case partially reflects the reality faced by North Korean defectors who have settled in South Korean society, and should be understood as an issue that South Korea, as it prepares for unification, needs to address."
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