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Gwangju court imposes additional six years for inmate's fraud against fellow prisoner

Published: 04 Dec. 2025, 16:27

Close up of a court mallet [GETTY IMAGES BANK]

A man who defrauded a fellow inmate out of 1 billion won ($680,000) by flaunting fake credentials and wealth while behind bars has been sentenced to an additional six years in prison.

The Gwangju District Court on Thursday sentenced the defendant for violations of the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes and other charges.

The defendant was already serving time at the Seoul Detention Center after being convicted of fraud when he began deceiving another inmate between 2020 and 2021. He convinced the victim to hand over a total of 1 billion won as an investment, boasting impressive academic and professional credentials and substantial assets — all of which were fabricated.

Even after his release, the victim continued to visit the defendant in prison 14 times for consultations, unaware of the deception.

The defendant also misled a lawyer who visited him at the detention center, pretending to be the real owner of a major company. The two even registered their marriage while the defendant was incarcerated. Their relationship ended after the lawyer discovered the truth and filed for divorce.

Prosecutors also charged the defendant with defamation for spreading vulgar and false rumors about the lawyer at the detention center.

“The defendant has shown no remorse and continued to make shameless excuses throughout the trial,” the court said in its ruling. “Given his complete lack of repentance, a severe punishment is unavoidable.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY HYEON YE-SEUL [[email protected]]