"Unhappy with 20-Year-Old Wage Dispute"... 70-Year-Old Throwing Molotov Cocktail Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison on Appeal

Neighboring Resident in 90s Dies During Treatment
Daejeon High Court Sentences 12 Years Imprisonment, Same as First Trial

A man in his 70s who threw a Molotov cocktail at a neighbor's house 20 years ago over a wage dispute, resulting in the resident's death, was sentenced to a heavy prison term again in the appellate court, following the first trial.

The Criminal Division 1 of the Daejeon High Court (Presiding Judge Park Jin-hwan) sentenced A (72), who was charged with attempted murder and arson causing death of an inhabited building, to 12 years in prison, the same as the first trial, the Yonhap News Agency reported on the 19th.

The scene of a fire at a detached house in Asan, Chungnam [Photo by Chungnam Fire Headquarters, Yonhap News]

A was prosecuted for throwing a Molotov cocktail he made and setting fire to a detached house in Buksuri, Baebang-eup, Asan-si, Chungnam Province, at around 11:52 p.m. on October 12 last year. Due to this fire, A’s 90-year-old mother, who was inside the house at the time, suffered fractures and other injuries and was transferred to a hospital but died of pneumonia during treatment. Also, B, the 60-year-old daughter and son-in-law, received treatment at the hospital for burns and smoke inhalation. The fire burned 100㎡ inside the house, causing property damage estimated at 39 million won by the fire department, and was extinguished after about 40 minutes.

The family members who were sleeping in the house at the time of the fire woke up after realizing the fire and tried to get outside, but A reportedly blocked the victims from leaving at the front door, making evacuation difficult. Eventually, the 90-year-old mother jumped out of a window to escape and sustained injuries requiring eight weeks of medical treatment. It was confirmed that A had prepared 12 Molotov cocktails in advance before the crime.

A reported himself to the police immediately after throwing the Molotov cocktail. It is known that he committed the crime out of resentment because B had made him do farm work about 20 years ago but did not properly pay him. During the investigation, A admitted to the crime, saying, "I wanted to protest because I helped with farm work but did not receive proper wages," but he claimed, "I had no intention or plan to kill."

Earlier, the first trial court explained the reason for sentencing him to 12 years in prison, saying, "The defendant claims he had no intent to kill, but he harbored resentment, made Molotov cocktails, and threw them at the victim’s house late at night. The victim suffered serious injuries from this incident and appears to have died due to deteriorated health. Considering the defendant’s mental state, who had been receiving psychiatric treatment, which seems to have influenced the crime, all factors were comprehensively considered." Both the prosecution, which sought a 20-year sentence, and A appealed, citing unfair sentencing. However, the appellate court dismissed the appeals, stating, "The first trial’s judgment appears reasonable."

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