Entering Someone Else's House by Just Putting a Hand Through the Window Constitutes Trespassing... Court States "Risk of Leading to More Serious Crimes"

Daejeon District Court. [Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seoyoung Kwon] A man who opened a window of someone else's house and put his arm inside was sentenced to imprisonment for trespassing.

On the 23rd, Judge Junbeom Park of the Criminal Division 5 at Daejeon District Court announced that he sentenced a man in his 20s, Mr. A, who was tried for trespassing, to one year in prison with a two-year probation. Additionally, the court ordered Mr. A to undergo probation and perform 200 hours of community service.

Mr. A was indicted on charges of opening a window of someone else's house and putting his arm inside in the early dawn of early October last year. He opened the screen and window by hand in front of a house near his residence in Daejeon City, then put his arm inside and touched the curtain inside the room. It was revealed that a woman was inside the house at the time, and Mr. A fled upon sensing her presence.

The police, who responded to the woman's report, apprehended Mr. A after analyzing closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage. Consequently, Mr. A was prosecuted for trespassing. The crime of trespassing is established not only when a person physically enters an indoor space where others are present but also when a part of the body such as a hand or face is inserted. Even an attempted trespass can be punishable, with penalties of up to three years imprisonment or a fine of up to 5 million won.

Judge Park stated regarding the severity of the punishment, "Opening the window of a room where another person is present and putting an arm inside during the early dawn is an act that entails the risk of leading to a more serious crime." He added, "The crime cannot be taken lightly, and considering that the victim petitioned for severe punishment, these factors were taken into account."

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