Suspended Sentence for Man in His 40s Who Brandished Weapon at Teenagers Over "Foreign Wife Insults"

"Impulsive Crime Triggered by Repeated Insults" Considered as Grounds for Leniency

A man in his 40s who took a weapon onto the street to intimidate teenagers who had continuously insulted and harassed his foreign wife has received a suspended prison sentence in the first trial. The court noted the danger of the crime but showed leniency, considering that the act was impulsive and a result of repeated harassment.

On May 14, Judge Kim Suhyeon of the Gwangju District Court Criminal Division 8 sentenced Mr. A (aged 40), who was charged with carrying a weapon in a public place, to three months in prison, suspended for one year.

Gwangju District Court building.

Mr. A was indicted for wandering for about two to three minutes with a weapon on a road in downtown Gwangju on September 28 last year. Investigation revealed that teenagers frequently visited the shop run by his foreign wife, making derogatory remarks and using abusive language in a foreign language, and Mr. A committed the act to scare them.

In previous hearings, Mr. A admitted to all charges but pleaded for leniency regarding his motive. He stated, "The students repeatedly made derogatory remarks and used abusive language toward my wife. I tried to talk to them nicely, and I even reported them to the police for interfering with our business," adding, "However, thinking that young students could make mistakes, I withdrew the report, but the harassment continued, leaving my wife terrified." Following this incident, Mr. A's wife ultimately closed the business she was running.

The court pointed out, "The defendant's act of wandering with a weapon on a public thoroughfare is not a minor offense."

However, the court also stated, "It appears that the defendant committed the crime impulsively out of anger after teenagers repeatedly hurled insulting language at his spouse and then fled. Considering there are circumstances that warrant leniency regarding the background of the crime, the sentence was determined accordingly."

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