"Is Cheonanham a Title?" Abusive Teacher Fined 1 Million Won in First Trial

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] A teacher who was prosecuted for insulting former Cheonan ship captain Choi Won-il was sentenced to a fine of 1 million won in the first trial.

On the morning of the 14th, Judge Kim Taekyun of Criminal Division 16 at the Seoul Central District Court sentenced teacher A, who was charged with insult, accordingly. Judge Kim stated, "Considering the content and manner of the post made by the defendant, the nature and circumstances of the crime are by no means light. It appears that the victim suffered considerable mental distress and shock."

However, Judge Kim added, "The defendant has confessed and is reflecting on the crime, and it seems the offense was committed impulsively. The defendant deleted the post immediately after the crime and posted an apology, and as a first-time offender with no prior criminal record, these sentencing factors were taken into account."

Earlier, teacher A was prosecuted for insulting former Captain Choi by posting on their social networking service (SNS) account on June 11 last year, saying, "If the Cheonan ship sinking is considered a torpedo attack, the captain who should have been dismissed and exiled is a XX," and "What kind of honor is the Cheonan ship?"

Teacher A admitted to the charges in court. He said in his final statement, "I thought (SNS) was a personal space and wrote the post carelessly," and "I believe the emotional wounds caused to former Captain Choi by my post have not yet healed. I apologize once again." The defense also appealed for leniency, stating, "The defendant deeply regrets posting the message impulsively with little thought and promises never to repeat such behavior."

On the other hand, the prosecution pointed out during the sentencing hearing, "The victim’s protest and demand for an apology at the National Assembly were solely for the soldiers who died in the Cheonan incident, not for personal gain," and "Nevertheless, the defendant directed unspeakable insults at the victim personally." They requested the court to impose a fine of 2 million won.

Initially, the prosecution filed a summary indictment against teacher A, requesting a fine of 2 million won. A summary indictment is a procedure where the prosecution requests a fine or penalty without a formal trial, based only on written review. However, the court issued a lighter summary order imposing a fine of 1 million won. The prosecution objected to this and requested a formal trial, which led to the current trial.

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