“Hate crime… Heavy guilt requires strict punishment”
A man in his 30s was sentenced to prison in the first trial for assaulting Chinese and Taiwanese tourists due to strong animosity towards Chinese people.
On the 3rd, Judge Ma Seong-young of the Seoul Western District Court sentenced 35-year-old Mr. Kwak to 10 months in prison for charges including special assault.
Earlier, Kwak was indicted for assaulting two Chinese tourists, A (20) and B (20), on April 1st.
Kwak was reportedly angry because A and B were speaking loudly in Chinese on a bus. He got off with them and followed them for about 70 meters before kicking them in the back.
During the assault, he also shouted derogatory remarks about their mothers in Chinese.
On April 6th, Kwak is also accused of assaulting Taiwanese tourists C and D, whom he mistook as Chinese, at a restaurant in Mapo-gu.
He waited for C and D to exit the restaurant, followed them for about 100 meters, and hit C on the head with a prepared soju bottle.
When a restaurant employee tried to stop him and pushed him down, Kwak bit the employee on the thigh and knee.
Judge Ma stated, “It seems to be a hate crime targeting Chinese people at night due to his general antagonism towards them,” highlighting the need for strict punishment due to the severity of the crime.
However, the judge also considered factors such as Kwak’s remorse, being a first-time offender, and his surrender to the authorities following media reports of the incident.