Molested Woman in Her 20s at Business He Operated
Prison Sentence in First Trial, Reduced to Suspended Sentence for "Diminished Mental Capacity" in Appeal
It was belatedly revealed that Mr. A (63), who was arrested for killing his biological son with a homemade firearm in Songdo, Incheon, had previously committed a sex crime against a female customer at a video room he operated.
On the 25th, Yonhap News reported this, citing a court ruling submitted by People Power Party lawmaker Joo Jinwoo, which was obtained from the Supreme Court. According to the ruling, Mr. A was sentenced to three years and six months in prison in February 1999 by the Northern Branch of the Seoul District Court on charges including aggravated indecent assault causing injury.
Mr. A, who operated a video room in Gangbuk-gu, Seoul, entered the room of a 25-year-old female customer who was watching a video alone in the early morning of December 1998, carrying a climbing knife and handcuffs. He threatened her by saying, "If you move, I will kill you. Do not scream." He then used the handcuffs to restrain and molest the woman. In addition, Mr. A was also charged with violating the Youth Protection Act for hiring a 17-year-old minor as an employee and allowing three minors, including a 16-year-old, to enter the video room. At the time, the court stated, "The location and method of the crime are extremely malicious," but also considered "the fact that the defendant stopped the rape attempt midway and had no prior record of sex crimes" as reasons for sentencing.
Police lines have been set up at the residence of Mr. A in Dobong-gu, Seoul, who fired a homemade gun in Songdo, Incheon on the 21st, resulting in the death of his son. Photo by Yonhap News
Mr. A appealed, claiming the sentence was excessive. In June 1999, the Seoul High Court, which handled the appeal, partially accepted Mr. A's claim of "diminished mental capacity" due to intoxication at the time of the crime and reduced the sentence to two years and six months in prison, suspended for four years. This decision was finalized. This was one year before Mr. A divorced his ex-wife.
On July 20, at around 9:31 p.m., Mr. A allegedly shot and killed his son with a homemade firearm at his apartment on the 33rd floor, the top floor, in Songdo-dong, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon. After the crime, police tracked Mr. A, who had fled by car, and apprehended him at around 12:20 a.m. the next day in Bangbae-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul, before transferring him to Incheon. According to police, a total of 11 homemade firearms were found in the passenger seat, back seat, and trunk of Mr. A's car.
After his emergency arrest, Mr. A stated that he had placed flammable materials in his home in Ssangmun-dong, Dobong-gu, Seoul. Police urgently deployed the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency SWAT team, evacuating a total of 105 people, including 69 apartment residents, and removed the materials. In Mr. A's home, 15 homemade explosives made from flammable materials were discovered, with timers set to detonate at noon on the 21st. As a result, Mr. A was additionally charged with violating the Act on the Safety Control of Firearms, Swords, and Explosives, in addition to murder. Later, police added attempted murder charges after determining that, at the time of the incident, Mr. A had also intended to kill his daughter-in-law, grandchildren, and acquaintances in addition to his son.
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