A Man in His 50s Sentenced to Prison for Turning Off Gas Valves at 25 Locations While Roaming Yongsan-gu

A man in his 50s who went around the Yongsan-gu area of Seoul and shut off the city gas valves of 25 buildings was sentenced to prison.

On the 13th, Judge Kim Yumi of the Criminal Division 6 at the Seoul Western District Court sentenced A (53), who was charged with violating the City Gas Business Act and obstruction of business, to one year in prison.

A is accused of going around the Yongsan-gu area of Seoul around March 25 and shutting off the city gas pipeline valves installed on the exterior walls of buildings, thereby disrupting the city gas supply to a total of 25 buildings and interfering with the restaurant operations of the victims.

The court stated, "Due to A's crime, residents in the Yongsan-gu area likely experienced considerable inconvenience and anxiety, and the victims engaged in their livelihoods probably suffered great distress," adding, "A has not been forgiven by the victims, and there is no evidence to suggest that the damages have been compensated."

The court also noted, "It appears that A suffers from a mental illness, so rather than simple criminal punishment, a problem-solving approach through effective treatment and supervision seems necessary," but added, "However, considering A's statements and attitude in court, it seems difficult to expect that he will recognize his condition and receive sufficient treatment on his own."

Furthermore, the court said, "It also seems unlikely that A can maintain normal daily life with the help of family or guardians, and treatment within society alone is judged to be insufficient to suppress and prevent A's recidivism."

It was also taken into account in sentencing that simply shutting off gas valves is not highly dangerous, and that the obstruction of business was relatively minor in the case of one victim who was unable to prepare for business for about 15 minutes due to the disruption of city gas supply.

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