A Man in His 20s Who Detained a Stranger in Lodging Facility Sentenced to 1 Year and 6 Months in Prison

[Asia Economy Reporter Gong Byung-sun] A man in his 20s who confined a person he had just met at a lodging facility because the person said something he did not like while drinking was sentenced to prison.

According to the court on the 11th, Judge Oh Kwon-cheol of the 13th Criminal Division of the Seoul Northern District Court sentenced Kim (29), who is accused of confinement and injury, to 1 year and 6 months in prison on the 30th of last month.

On May 30, Kim met the victim, A (34), for the first time while drinking at a bar located in Nowon-gu, Seoul. The two drank more alcohol in a motel room in Nowon-gu around 8:30 a.m. on the same day. During this time, A said something that upset Kim, and Kim suddenly punched A in the eye area, knocking him down, then repeatedly assaulted the victim’s face and torso with his fists and feet.

When A tried to open the motel room door and escape, Kim grabbed A’s hair and dragged him, alternately assaulting him in the bathroom and inside the room. Around 2 p.m. on the same day, when A fainted, Kim confined him inside the room to prevent escape and inflicted injuries such as a concussion for about 7 hours and 20 minutes.

A woke up from unconsciousness around 3:50 p.m. on the same day and escaped from the motel room by lying to Kim, saying they should go to A’s house together.

In 2018, Kim was sentenced to 1 year and 6 months in prison with a 3-year probation by the Seoul High Court for violating the Act on the Protection of Children and Juveniles against Sexual Abuse. However, during the probation period, he committed theft and was sentenced to 4 months in prison by the Seoul Northern District Court.

The court explained, "Considering the circumstances and details of the crime, the nature of the offense is not good, and after serving a 4-month sentence for theft, the defendant committed this crime during the recidivism period. The defendant has neither received forgiveness from the victim nor reached a settlement." However, the court stated the sentencing reason as, "Taking into account that the defendant admitted the crime and showed remorse, and received treatment for depression and other conditions, among various circumstances, this sentence was decided."

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