"Why Won't You Cut It?" Hotteok Terror in Boiling Oil... 60s Sentenced for Burns

On September 5th last year, a man in Daegu visited a hotteok shop and requested to have his hotteok cut, but when refused, he threw the hotteok into boiling oil.
[Photo by KBS News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] A man in his 60s who threw hotteok into boiling oil, causing burns to a restaurant owner, was sentenced to prison.

On the 1st, according to the court, the Daegu District Court's 8th Criminal Division (Chief Judge Park Seongjun) sentenced A (65), who was charged with injury, to one year in prison.

A was tried for throwing hotteok into an oil container at a restaurant on Dongcheon-ro in Buk-gu, Daegu Metropolitan City, on the afternoon of September 5 last year, causing oil to splash and burn the restaurant owner B (39).

At the time, A ordered two hotteok and asked owner B to "cut the hotteok." B refused, explaining, "The principle is not to cut hotteok," and that a notice saying "cutting not allowed" was posted inside the store and on the menu.

Angered, A threw the hotteok into the oil container, causing oil to splash onto B's upper body. The oil temperature was about 180 degrees Celsius, very hot, and B suffered second- to third-degree burns on the back of his right hand, chest, and shoulder.

In the police investigation, A stated that he had no intention of throwing the hotteok into the oil container and did not know where the oil would splash.

Restaurant owner B said A showed no remorse and urged for severe punishment, saying, "I hope he receives a strong penalty."

The court explained the sentencing reasons, saying, "Considering the request for severe punishment, the lack of sincere apology or serious efforts to restore the damage, and the acknowledgment of wrongdoing."

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