Reporter Charged with 'Yoon Seok-yeol Apartment Parking Lot Intrusion' Fined 3 Million Won in First Trial

by Kim Daehyun

Published 26 Apr.2022 14:12(KST)

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol (left) and Kim Geon-hee [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] A reporter affiliated with the YouTube-based media outlet 'Seoul's Voice,' who is accused of trespassing in the apartment parking lot where President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol resides, has been sentenced to a fine.

On the 26th at 2 p.m., Judge Jo Su-yeon of the Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 5 sentenced reporter A and guest reporter B of Seoul's Voice, who were indicted for trespassing in a shared residence, to fines of 3 million won each.

The court stated, "The defendants all admitted and confessed to the crime, and other evidence confirms their guilt," adding, "They deceived the security company with lies to enter the parking lot, disturbing the residents' peace of residence, and their prior record of punishment due to assault is an unfavorable factor."

However, "All defendants admitted the crime and showed remorse, did not trespass the parking lot with criminal intent, and considering that the apartment parking lot disturbs the peace of residence less than indoor living spaces, these are taken as favorable factors."

Earlier, A and others were brought to trial on charges of attempting an interview after deceiving the security company by saying "I came to see the house" to enter the parking lot of the apartment in Seocho-gu, Seoul, where then Prosecutor General and now President-elect Yoon resided in August 2020.

A is the person who, ahead of the presidential election in January, made public a related recording after a phone call with Yoon’s wife, Kim Geon-hee.

Meanwhile, Kim’s side filed a lawsuit worth around 100 million won against A, who released the phone call recording in January.