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Court upholds prison sentence for person who stole cash from church offering box

Published: 13 May. 2025, 16:10

A placard celebrating the election of Pope Leo XIV is hung at the Myeongdong Cathedral in central Seoul on May 11. This image has no relation to the story. [YONHAP]

A 46-year-old person who stole cash from a church offering box on Jeju Island on Christmas Day has been sentenced to prison in their appeal trial, upholding the lower court’s ruling.

The Jeju District Court dismissed the perpetrator’s appeal on Tuesday, who had been convicted of theft and attempted theft. They were sentenced to one year in prison in the first trial.

The perpetrator was indicted for stealing 200,000 won ($141) from an offering box at a church in Jeju at around 5:25 p.m. on Christmas Day in 2024.

They also face charges for attempting to steal from a Buddhist temple. On Nov. 29 last year, they allegedly tried to break open the temple's donation box, but failed to complete the theft.

The perpetrator, who has multiple prior convictions for similar offenses, committed the crimes about a month after being released from prison on a previous theft charge.

They appealed the initial ruling, claiming the sentence was too harsh.

“There is no excuse for committing another offense less than a month after release,” the perpetrator’s lawyer said during the appeal. “However, considering they had no means of income and were estranged from their family, we ask for leniency.”

“The defendant is remorseful, and the financial damage was not substantial,” the appellate court ruled. “However, they committed multiple offenses during their repeat offender probation period. There has been no change in sentencing conditions since the first trial, and the original sentence remains appropriate.”

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY JUNG SI-NAE [[email protected]]