A 60-year-old man who cursed at elementary school students at a crosswalk was sentenced to a reduced term in the appellate court.

The Chuncheon District Court's Second Criminal Division (Chief Judge Kim Seong-rae) announced on the 4th that it had overturned the original sentence of one year in prison for Mr. A (65), who was indicted for violating the Child Welfare Act (child abuse), obstruction of business, and insult, and sentenced him to eight months in prison.

On November 28 of last year, Mr. A was standing in the middle of a crosswalk on a road in Hwacheon, Gangwon Province. At that time, two passing elementary school students, B (12) and C (11), expressed their concern, saying, "Sir, it's dangerous. Please hurry and cross." However, Mr. A retaliated by shouting, "XXX, I’ll kill you," inflicting emotional abuse and instilling fear in the children.

"XXXX, I’ll kill you"

Continuous disruptive behavior leading to obstruction of business

Fifteen days after the incident, Mr. A caused another disturbance at a convenience store in Hwacheon. When the store owner tried to prevent him from buying alcohol, he shouted loudly while holding a large umbrella, saying, "Hey, XXX, aren’t you scared of divine punishment?"

He even threatened a customer who tried to intervene by swinging the large umbrella, causing chaos for about 20 minutes.

On December 26 of the same year, he created an issue at a coffee shop in Hwacheon as well. While drinking canned beer, he unprovokedly confronted a man in his 20s, saying, "A young person shouldn't live like that," and sang loudly, causing a disturbance for about 56 minutes and obstructing business.

The first-instance court stated, "Considering the overall nature of the crimes and the defendant's past criminal record, the defendant's responsibility is severe, making a harsh penalty unavoidable," and sentenced him to one year in prison. In response, Mr. A appealed, claiming that "the original sentence is too heavy and unjust."

The appellate court, after reviewing the case again, stated, "Considering that the victims do not wish for punishment of the defendant at the appellate stage, the original sentence is somewhat severe," and reduced the sentence to eight months. As a result, Mr. A received a four-month reduction from the original sentence.

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