"Don't Live Like That" "Die" Man in His 20s Sentenced to Prison in Appeal for Swearing at Court

Courtroom image. The Asia Business Daily DB

A man in his twenties, who was on trial without detention for committing phone financial fraud (voice phishing) and then verbally abused the judge after being taken into custody in court, was sentenced to prison in his appeal trial.

On November 12, the Criminal Division 1 of the Jeonju Panel of the Gwangju High Court (Presiding Judge Yang Jinsoo) announced that it had overturned the lower court's sentence for Mr. A (23), who was indicted on charges of violating the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Prevention of Loss from Telecommunications-based Financial Fraud and Refund for Loss and contempt of court. The court sentenced him to one year and ten months in prison for the combined charges, instead of the original sentences of one year and eight months and four months in prison for each charge, respectively.

Mr. A was initially indicted only for financial fraud, but after he swore in court during the trial, the two charges were combined and tried together in the appeal trial.

He stood trial at the Gunsan Branch of the Jeonju District Court on May 1, 2024, on charges of working as a "cash collector" for a voice phishing organization and defrauding five victims of approximately 79 million won between July and August 2024.

At that time, the court sentenced Mr. A to prison and took him into custody, asking, "To whom should we notify your detention?"

In most cases, defendants in this situation accept the reality of being taken into custody and name a family member such as a parent, spouse, sibling, or child.

However, Mr. A responded with harsh profanity, saying, "What did I do to get one year and eight months... Don't live your life like that."

Despite attempts by the court bailiff to restrain him, he continued to curse at the bench for over a minute, even shouting "Die."

The appellate court combined the two charges and stated, "Financial fraud crimes continuously inflict extensive damage on an unspecified number of victims," and added, "Although the defendant did not lead the crime, he played an essential role in its completion, so his responsibility is not light."

Regarding the contempt of court charge, the court ruled, "Moreover, the defendant repeatedly shouted profanities after being taken into custody at the first trial, which is extremely malicious conduct," and emphasized, "Such crimes undermine the fair functioning of the court and therefore require strict punishment."

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