"Misidentified as a Wild Boar" Hunter Shoots Taxi Driver to Death... Prosecution Seeks 4-Year Prison Sentence

Defense Attorney: "Accidental Incident, Mr. A is a National Merit Recipient" Seeks Leniency
Mr. A: "Once Again, Sorry to the Bereaved Families"
Bereaved Families Protest Mr. A, Some Are Removed from the Courtroom

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Gyumin] The prosecution has requested a four-year prison sentence for a man in his 70s who was tried on charges of shooting and killing a taxi driver who was urinating on the road.

On the 28th, Judge Jung Geum-young of the Criminal Division 4 at the Seoul Western District Court held a trial for Mr. A (73), who was detained and indicted on charges of professional negligence causing death.

The prosecution stated, "Considering the significant degree of the defendant's negligence and the fact that the victim died," and requested a four-year prison sentence from the court.

In his final statement, Mr. A's defense attorney said, "We pray for the repose of the victim who tragically lost his life due to the defendant's fault and sincerely apologize and offer condolences to the bereaved family," adding, "The defendant was engaged in capturing wild boars, which threaten the safety of Seoul citizens, and during the process of aiming according to the expected path of the wild boars, a 'swing shot' occurred, resulting in this unfortunate incident involving the victim."

He continued, "The defendant failed to exercise special caution to prevent safety accidents and did not fulfill the duty of care to check the environment affected by the swing shot, so he deserves appropriate punishment."

However, Mr. A's defense attorney also requested leniency, stating, "Since his arrest, Mr. A has consistently confessed to the crime and deeply reflected on it, and he is making minimal efforts to provide separate compensation to the victim's family for damage recovery," and "It was an accidental incident under difficult conditions such as darkness and the presence of trees and bushes making it hard to find the victim. The defendant is a national merit recipient who received a military medal and suffers from illnesses caused by Agent Orange."

Mr. A tearfully bowed his head to the bereaved family in court, saying, "A hunter who should protect citizens injured a citizen. I apologize once again to the bereaved family and pray for the deceased's repose."

In response, the bereaved family pointed fingers at Mr. A and made remarks such as "Don't lie" and "You XX," resulting in the judge ordering them to leave the courtroom.

The sentencing for Mr. A is scheduled for 10 a.m. on the 19th of next month.

Mr. A is accused of shooting and killing a taxi driver in his 70s who was urinating near the entrance of Bukhansan Urban Nature Park near Gugi Tunnel in Eunpyeong-gu around 8 p.m. on April 29, after parking his car.

The victim suffered penetrating wounds to the wrist and abdomen and was transported to Seoul National University Hospital while receiving cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), but was reported to have died at 12:52 a.m. that day.

On the same day at around 5:50 p.m., Mr. A, a formally registered hunter, received a hunting gun from a nearby police station and went up the mountain, mistakenly identifying the victim as a wild boar, which led to the accident.

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