A bar owner who made customers heavily intoxicated and then charged them inflated drink prices has been sentenced to prison.
On December 17, the Busan District Court Criminal Division 12 (Presiding Judge Ji Hyunkyung) announced that it had sentenced a man in his 30s, referred to as A, to one year and six months in prison on charges including fraud using computers and other means.
A is accused of defrauding three customers out of 3.6 million won in drink charges and other fees at a karaoke bar he operated in Busanjin District, Busan, between May 18 and May 24.
A, who operated both a karaoke bar and a hostess agency, would have touts bring in customers, after which hostesses would encourage them to drink strong alcohol until they lost consciousness, then demand exorbitant drink charges.
During this process, A would have customers reveal their mobile phone passwords or directly unlock their phones using their fingerprints, then transfer the drink charges via mobile banking.
While running the karaoke bar, A also forced an employee to climb onto a table and assume a "head down" position because he was dissatisfied with the employee's work attitude.
The court stated, "After making customers heavily intoxicated, A induced them to transfer money under the pretext of drink charges and other fees, and committed significant violence against bar employees. The nature of the crimes is extremely egregious."
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