South Korean man sentenced to 2 years for 50,000 won forgery

A man in his 20s has been sentenced to two years in prison by the Suwon High Court for manufacturing and distributing counterfeit 50,000 won banknotes. The court dismissed his appeal, upholding the original sentence.

The defendant created the fake currency by photographing real banknotes with a mobile phone, editing the size, color, and serial numbers on a computer, and printing them onto A4 paper using a color printer. He then provided the counterfeit notes to an acquaintance, who used them to purchase items such as cigarettes at convenience stores in Gyeonggi Province, specifically targeting locations where older employees might be less likely to notice the forgery.

While the court noted that the forgery method was crude and could have been detected with slight caution, it emphasized that the crime was a serious offense that undermines the order of currency circulation. The defendant, who has a prior criminal record for fraud, argued that the sentence was too harsh, but the appellate court ruled that the original sentencing appropriately considered all relevant factors.