60s Man Who Attempted Arson at Office Chanting "Moon Heung-sik Step Down" Receives Suspended Sentence

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Jin-hyung] A man in his 60s who attempted to set fire to the office of the 5·18 Detained and Injured Association while shouting "Gangster boss step down" was sentenced to probation.

Judge Park Sang-hyun of the Criminal Division 4 at Gwangju District Court sentenced Mr. A, who was indicted on charges including attempted arson of an existing structure, to one year in prison with a two-year probation.

Mr. A was prosecuted for visiting the Detained and Injured Association office located in Seo-gu around 8:20 p.m. on May 27, shouting "I'll kill you all," pouring a flammable substance on the floor, and attempting to ignite it with a lighter.

The crime was prevented as 4 to 5 members of the Detained and Injured Association inside the office stopped him.

He had attended the '41st Anniversary 5·18 Democratic Uprising Revival Ceremony' held in front of the former Jeonnam Provincial Government Building, shouted slogans such as "Gangster boss step down, thug step aside," and got into an argument with the leadership of the organization. Enraged by the remark "If you want to fight, come to the office," he decided to set the fire.

He also headbutted and spat at the police officers who arrived after the report.

The court stated, "Considering the danger of the method of crime, such as entering a building where people are present and pouring a flammable substance like epoxy hardener, the defendant's guilt is not light, and the crime is aggravated by assaulting police officers performing their duties."

However, the court cited as mitigating factors "the defendant's remorse for causing trouble, the fact that the arson attempt was impulsive due to being enraged by the abusive language of the Detained and Injured Association members, and that the injured police officer does not wish to press charges."

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