"Stay Warm and Healthy"… Judge Gives 100,000 Won and a Book to a Homeless Person

Busan District Court Chief Judge Park Ju-young Reveals Story Behind Sentencing

A chief judge in Busan delivered a sentence to a defendant in his 50s and then offered heartfelt consolation along with a book and 100,000 won in cash.

The protagonist of the story is Chief Judge Park Ju-young of the Criminal Division 1, Dongbu Branch of the Busan District Court. According to the legal community on the 26th, Chief Judge Park Ju-young sentenced a man in his 50s, Mr. A, who was tried on charges of special intimidation on the 20th, to six months in prison with a two-year probation period and ordered two years of probation supervision.

(This photo is not directly related to the article.) [Photo source=Pixabay]

Mr. A is accused of threatening another homeless man, Mr. B, with a weapon after an argument while drinking together in front of a convenience store in Busan around 1 a.m. on September 28.

Judge Park spared Mr. A from imprisonment, citing factors such as ▲ Mr. A himself stepping on and breaking the weapon at the scene ▲ the victim Mr. B not wanting to press charges ▲ it being his first offense ▲ and the possibility of reform.

After the sentencing, Judge Park reportedly expressed concern, asking, “How do you maintain your livelihood?” and urged him to “secure stable housing, live within the social security system, and take care of your health.”

Having lived as a homeless person since childhood without stable housing, Mr. A was given 100,000 won in cash so he could at least go to a jjimjilbang (Korean sauna) during the cold wave. At that time, Busan was experiencing subzero temperatures due to the cold wave.

Judge Park also learned that Mr. A liked books and gave him a copy of the book Life (original title Huozhe 活着, meaning “To Live”) by Chinese author Yu Hua. The book tells the story of a protagonist who endures pain and hardship throughout a difficult life.

In a media interview, Judge Park explained that he gave the money because he was worried about Mr. A sleeping outdoors during the unusual cold wave and wanted him to stay at a jjimjilbang.

Mr. A was reportedly moved to tears by Judge Park’s words, “Be sure to visit your mother’s grave.”

The story spread after audience members at the trial shared Judge Park’s actions with the outside world.

In 2019, Judge Park also gave a suspended sentence to a person who was charged with attempted aiding suicide after surviving a joint suicide attempt alone, along with a letter expressing confidence that “better days will come” and 200,000 won for transportation expenses.

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