Prosecutors Seek Fine for Lawyer Who Smuggled Electronic Cigarettes into Prison

Gwangju Prosecutors Request 2 Million Won Fine at Trial
Six-Month Prison Sentence or Fine Sought for Eight Inmates

Prosecutors have requested a fine for a lawyer who secretly brought electronic cigarettes into a prison.

At a trial held on September 16, 2025, presided over by Chief Judge Kim Sungjun of the Gwangju District Court Criminal Division 11, prosecutors asked the court to sentence Lawyer A (64) to a fine of 2 million won for violating the Act on the Execution of Sentences and Treatment of Inmates. A was indicted for bringing prohibited items into the prison on several occasions, including handing an electronic cigarette to an inmate client in the Gwangju Prison visitation room on January 24, 2025.

It was revealed that the electronic cigarette was brought from the visitation room into the cell and was shared among several inmates. Prosecutors also requested either a six-month prison sentence or a fine of 2 million won each for the eight inmates who smoked the electronic cigarette together.

A's defense attorney pleaded for leniency, stating, "He could not refuse the defendant's request out of fear that the retainer agreement might be terminated even if he took on the case." In his final statement, A also said, "I have committed an act that tarnished the dignity of the legal profession. I am deeply ashamed." The sentencing hearing is scheduled for November 6, 2025.