Jeong Chang-ok Found Not Guilty of Throwing Shoe at President... Guilty of Assaulting Police and Other Charges

Convicted of Assaulting Police Officer and Insulting Sewol Ferry Victims' Families
10-Month Prison Sentence with 2-Year Probation

Jung Chang-ok [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] Jeong Chang-ok (60), who was prosecuted for throwing a shoe at President Moon Jae-in during his visit to the National Assembly last July, was sentenced to probation in the first trial.

He was acquitted of the charge of throwing a shoe, but was found guilty of assaulting a police officer and insulting the families of the Sewol ferry victims.

On the 26th, Judge Shin Hyuk-jae of the Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 4 sentenced Jeong, who was indicted for obstruction of official duties and violation of the Assembly and Demonstration Act, to 10 months in prison with a 2-year probation.

The court acquitted Jeong of the charge of throwing a shoe at President Moon (obstruction of official duties). However, it stated, "It is recognized that he directly used physical force against a public official (the president) performing official duties," but "it is insufficient to acknowledge that it caused disruption to the performance of official duties."

However, the court found Jeong guilty of assaulting a police officer during the August 15 Gwanghwamun Liberation Day rally last year and insulting the families of the Sewol ferry victims using a speaker in front of the 4·16 Memorial Exhibition Hall in Danwon-gu, Ansan-si, Gyeonggi Province in January of the same year.

The court said, "The crimes of assaulting a police officer performing official duties and insulting the Sewol ferry victims are not minor," and "considered favorably the fact that he volunteered for youth service."

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