'KBS Gokgwaengi Rampage' 40s Male Sentenced to 1 Year 6 Months in Prison in Second Trial

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jung-yoon] A man in his 40s who caused a disturbance by breaking the glass window of the KBS radio studio with a pickaxe was sentenced to prison again in the second trial.

The Seoul Southern District Court Criminal Appeal Division 1 (Chief Judge Byun Sung-hwan) dismissed the appeals of both the prosecution and the defendant A, who was indicted on charges of special property damage and obstruction of business, at the sentencing hearing on the 8th, and sentenced him to 1 year and 6 months in prison, the same as the original sentence.

The court stated, "The defendant's crime actually disrupted the broadcast, and afterwards, the production staff reported extreme fear and anxiety," adding, "However, the defendant's mental illness was taken into consideration in sentencing."

A was indicted for breaking the glass window on the outer wall of the studio with a pickaxe after intruding into the KBS open radio hall where a live broadcast was in progress at around 3:40 p.m. on August 5 last year. Although no one other than A was injured during the crime, announcer Hwang Jung-min, who was conducting the broadcast, was hospitalized due to post-traumatic stress disorder and other reasons.

A's side pleaded for leniency, stating that he had been receiving treatment for depression and paranoid schizophrenia since around 2005. In December last year, the first trial court sentenced A to 1 year and 6 months in prison and also ordered him to pay approximately 33.9 million won to KBS, the claimant for compensation. However, A's side appealed on the grounds that the sentence was excessive, while the prosecution appealed claiming the sentence was too light.

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