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Man guilty of kidnapping, assaulting ex-girlfriend and fraud gets sentenced halved on appeal

Published: 10 Jun. 2025, 21:09

An image of a statue of Justitia, the goddess of justice [KOREA JOONGANG DAILY]

A man in his 20s who was sentenced to eight years in prison for kidnapping, detaining and assaulting his ex-girlfriend after she reported him for dating violence had his sentence reduced by nearly half in his appeal due to the nature of fraud-related activity he was also found guilty of.

The Seoul Central District Court sentenced the 29-year-old surnamed Kim to four years and six months in prison on Tuesday. He was also ordered to complete 40 hours of court-mandated drug treatment education and to forfeit 300,000 won ($220).

The appellate court lowered the original sentence handed down by the district court, which had found Kim guilty of dating violence, unlawful confinement, assault and injury, and sentenced him to eight years. The appeals court cited additional settlements with some victims and the relatively small scale of the damages in fraud-related charges Kim also faced as factors in the reduced sentence.

According to prosecutors, Kim is involved in at least seven separate criminal cases. During his first trial, he had settled with only a few of the victims. The court at the time found him guilty on most charges, except those for which nonprosecution statements had been submitted.

“The defendant reached settlements with some victims, the damages from the fraud charges were not significant and the original sentence was somewhat heavy considering the overall scope of the case,” the court said.

A court sign on the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho District, southern Seoul [YONHAP]

However, it upheld the lower court’s ruling on the assault charges involving his ex-girlfriend.

Kim was indicted for luring his ex-girlfriend into meeting him in February 2023 under the pretense of retrieving his belongings after she reported him for dating violence. He and an accomplice forcibly put her in a car and drove around Seoul’s Gangnam and Gwanak districts for about 40 minutes while detaining and assaulting her.

When she attempted to contact police using a government-issued smartwatch, he allegedly took it from her and destroyed it.

Between September and October of the same year, Kim reportedly assaulted the same victim multiple times, resulting in injuries. He also allegedly skipped out on payments at entertainment bars, threatened former partners and used weapons to intimidate or injure them. In addition, Kim was charged with the possession and use of illegal drugs and was accused of assaulting a detention center official after being taken into custody.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY JEONG JAE-HONG [[email protected]]