Peace Activist Who Cut Barbed Wire and Trespassed Jeju Naval Base Sentenced to 2 Years in Prison

Supreme Court, Seocho-dong, Seoul. Photo by Honam Moon munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] The Supreme Court has confirmed a prison sentence for peace activists who cut military barbed wire and trespassed into the Jeju Naval Base.

On the 23rd, the Supreme Court's 3rd Division (Presiding Justice Lee Heung-gu) announced that it upheld the original verdict sentencing peace activists Song Mo and Ryu Mo-hee to two years in prison and two years in prison with a three-year probation, respectively, on charges of damaging military facilities. It also upheld the acquittal of Yoon Mo and Choi Mo, who were charged with aiding and abetting the damage to military facilities.

Earlier, Song was prosecuted for cutting barbed wire and entering the naval base in Seogwipo City, Jeju, last March on the 8th anniversary of the Gureombi blasting, where he prayed and damaged military facilities. Ryu, who was with him, followed Song into the base and was charged as an accomplice. Yoon and Choi were also prosecuted for aiding Song's crime.

They had applied three times to visit the Gureombi Rocks within the naval base, but when the base denied access citing civilian entry restrictions due to COVID-19 quarantine measures, they committed the crime. The Gureombi Rocks, measuring 1.2 km in length and 150 m in width, were a massive coastal rock formation known for their outstanding scenery but were mostly blasted during the naval base construction in 2012.

The first trial sentenced Song to two years in prison and Ryu to two years in prison with a three-year probation. The court at the time stated, "The crime involved cutting fences and barbed wire large enough for a person to enter, praying and meditating inside, and then leaving without resistance after being discovered." However, "the defendants damaged military materials surrounding the military facility, and the place they trespassed was a military facility where entry without permission is prohibited, so they must be severely punished." Yoon and Choi were acquitted due to lack of evidence.

The second trial maintained the first trial's judgment, stating, "Even if there was no explicit agreement between Ryu and Song regarding the crime of damaging military facilities, tacit conspiracy or collaboration in the crime can be recognized."

The Supreme Court also agreed with this judgment. The court said, "The lower court did not err in its understanding of the law regarding joint principal offenders and justifiable acts," and dismissed all appeals.

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