Two men in their twenties who broke into the Western District Court during a disturbance have been sentenced to suspended prison terms in the first trial.
On October 27, Kim Jinseong, Chief Judge of the Criminal Division 6 of the Seoul Western District Court, sentenced Choi (27) and another man also named Choi (27), who were indicted on charges of breaking and entering, to six months in prison, suspended for two years. The judge also ordered each of them to complete 120 hours of community service.
They were brought to trial on charges of breaking into the Seoul Western District Court building in the early morning of January 19, in protest against the news of former President Yoon Sukyeol's arrest.
Judge Kim stated, "The defendants' actions were dangerous, as they could have incited physical attacks against the court and the police officers guarding the scene." However, he explained the sentencing by adding, "Considering that this was their first offense and that they admitted to their crimes, it is appropriate to give them another chance."
Previously, the prosecution had requested a one-year prison sentence for each defendant.
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