"Did You Have a Transactional Relationship with Your Girlfriend?"... Teenagers Sentenced for Assault and Extortion of a Man in His 30s

Court Sentences 2 of 3 Members of the Group to Prison

A group of teenagers who assaulted a man involved in a transactional relationship with the girlfriend of one of the members and extorted money from him were sentenced to prison.

The Criminal Division 1 of the Namyangju Branch of Uijeongbu District Court (Presiding Judge An Bok-yeol) sentenced A (19) to five years in prison on charges of robbery causing injury, attempted robbery, and unlawful confinement. B (19), who actively participated in the crime alongside A, was sentenced to six years in prison for robbery causing injury and unlawful confinement. However, the court acquitted C (19), who drove the vehicle during the victim’s confinement, ruling that he did not directly engage in confinement or assault.

Uijeongbu District Court Namyangju Branch. Yonhap News

A and his group are accused of assaulting the victim, D (39), at an apartment parking lot in Seoul around 9:50 p.m. on July 1, then forcing him into a vehicle and confining him for 15 hours while extorting money.

A reportedly committed the crime after discovering that his girlfriend, E (18), had a three-year transactional relationship with D in the past. At the time of the incident, the group kidnapped D from the parking lot, took him to a wooded hill in Namyangju City, and assaulted him for 30 minutes. They then moved him to a motel in Guri City, Gyeonggi Province, where they threatened him. Ultimately, D handed over 9.9 million won to A and his group, including 4.9 million won from a canceled housing subscription refund and 5 million won borrowed from an acquaintance.

The group also attempted to intercept stock sale proceeds by calling the stock investment company D dealt with the next morning. When told the deposit would take two days, they demanded, "Bring 40 million won in two days," and released D after 15 hours.

D, who continued to suffer threats, eventually reported the incident to the police, leading to the group’s urgent arrest at the agreed meeting place.

The court explained the sentencing, stating, "The defendants are reflecting on their crimes, have no prior criminal records except juvenile protective measures, the victim does not wish to press charges against A, and C has deposited 6 million won in criminal bail, which are favorable factors. However, the defendants confined the victim for 15 hours, threatening and assaulting him, causing injuries requiring three weeks of medical treatment. They also took nude photos of the victim, abused him, and extorted money, showing extremely poor criminal conduct."

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