South Korean business owners receive suspended sentences after worker's death

Two business owners in Jinhae-gu, Changwon, have received suspended prison sentences following the death of a female employee. The incident occurred in February last year during a birthday party at an entertainment establishment they operated.

The owners allegedly offered the 26-year-old worker 5 million won if she could consume approximately 700ml of liquor in a single shot. After consuming the alcohol in about one minute, the woman collapsed and died from acute alcohol poisoning. Her blood alcohol concentration was recorded at 0.485%.

The Changwon District Court sentenced both individuals to one year of imprisonment, suspended for two years, and ordered 120 hours of community service for each. The court ruled that the owners' actions directly caused the death by encouraging the consumption and subsequently failing to provide medical assistance. The court noted that the defendants admitted to the charges and reached a settlement with the victim's family, who received 130 million won and expressed they did not wish for punishment.