20-Year-Old Sentenced to Heavy Penalty for Stealing 3,500 Won Worth of Snacks and Assaulting Store Owner

Appeal Trial: 3 Years 6 Months Imprisonment
Stole Snacks Worth 3,500 Won and Assaulted Store Owner
"Strangling Was Fun," Statement Given

A man in his 20s who stole 3,500 won worth of snacks and jelly from an unmanned store and fled was severely punished after assaulting the store owner who chased him, saying, "I won't report you if you just pay."

The Criminal Division 1 of the Chuncheon Branch of the Seoul High Court (Chief Judge Kim Hyeong-jin) announced on the 3rd that it dismissed the appeal filed by A (27), who was indicted on charges of robbery and injury and theft, and sentenced him to 3 years and 6 months in prison, the same as the original sentence.

(This photo is not directly related to the article) [Photo by Yonhap News]

A was prosecuted on charges of stealing snacks and jelly worth about 3,500 won from an unmanned store in Wonju, Gangwon Province, at around 9:25 a.m. on February 16, and assaulting the store owner B (32) during the process.

A could have been punished only for simple theft, but he was charged with robbery and injury after assaulting B while fleeing when caught stealing.

At the time of the crime, when B, who was chasing him, said, "You just need to pay. If you keep doing this, I will report you to the police," A suddenly assaulted B.

It was also investigated that A damaged the canopy of the stroller carrying B’s child and threw the stolen snacks at B. After strangling B’s neck and causing B to fall to the ground, A kicked B’s face, inflicting injuries that required about 20 days of treatment. During the police investigation, A reportedly stated, "I found strangling the victim’s neck fun," which further provoked public outrage. In addition, it was found that A stole snacks worth 500 won and 1,700 won from two other unmanned stores the day before the crime.

The Wonju Branch of the Chuncheon District Court, which handled the first trial, pointed out, "He repeatedly committed crimes without any remorse, and during the robbery and injury crime, he strongly strangled the victim’s neck. If there had been no witnesses around, it could have led to a more serious accident."

It added, "He does not appear to sincerely reflect on the crime, as he testified to the investigation that 'strangling the victim’s neck was fun.' Punishment commensurate with the guilt is inevitable," and sentenced him to 3 years and 6 months in prison.

A appealed, claiming the sentence was too heavy, but the second trial court dismissed A’s appeal, stating, "The original court’s sentencing judgment cannot be evaluated as exceeding the reasonable limits of discretion."

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