Suspended Sentence for Man in His 20s Who Left Guard Post During Military Duty

Soldier. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Min Jun-young] A man in his 20s who left his post during guard duty while serving in the military to visit a coffee shop was brought to trial but received a suspended prison sentence.

On the 16th, the Incheon District Court Criminal Division 4 (Judge Seok Jun-hyeop) announced that A (24), who was charged with desertion from a guard post, was given a suspended sentence of four months in prison.

The court stated, "The defendant is remorseful," and "Considering the lack of prior criminal record, the prison sentence is suspended," explaining the reasoning behind the sentencing.

A was brought to trial for leaving his post for about 10 minutes on January 21 at 9:12 a.m. while on guard duty at the entrance of a military base in Gyeonggi Province, during his time as a soldier.

Investigations revealed that he left his post, put on a pre-prepared combat cap and bag, pretended to be on leave, and went to a nearby coffee shop to buy coffee.

A, who enlisted in 2018, was discharged in March and was tried in a civilian court rather than a military court.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.