South Korean court sentences individuals for private revenge services

A Busan District Court has sentenced several individuals involved in a “private revenge” scheme operated via Telegram. The group accepted payments of approximately 2.5 million won per incident to target the homes and offices of others by spreading excrement, using spray paint, or distributing defamatory flyers.

The scheme was initiated by a man in his 30s seeking to recover debts from acquaintances. He utilized a Telegram group that facilitated these criminal acts. Participants received various sentences, including prison terms and suspended sentences, for charges such as trespassing and property damage. The court noted the extremely poor nature of the crimes but considered the defendants' admissions and the relatively small financial gains as mitigating factors.

In a separate legal matter, a man in his 30s received a three-year prison sentence suspended for five years for sexually assaulting and threatening his fiancée with a weapon in Chungju. The defendant reportedly committed the crime following a dispute over wages and expressed fear of the relationship ending. The court cited the victim's agreement to a settlement and her request for leniency as reasons for the suspended sentence.