Police officers escort a man out of a court in Seoul on Oct. 16, 2023, following a court hearing on suspicions of leaving a weapon in front of then Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon’s home in southern Seoul. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Mar. 28 (Korea Bizwire) — A Seoul court sentenced a 43-year-old man to one year in prison on charges of leaving a weapon in front of ruling party leader Han Dong-hoon’s home in southern Seoul last year while he was serving as justice minister.
The man, only known by his surname Hong, has been indicted on charges of placing a weapon and a torch lighter at the entrance of Han’s apartment in Seoul’s Gangnam district in October. He was also found to have repeatedly visited his neighborhood.
Han, now the leader of the ruling People Power Party, was serving as justice minister at that time.
The Seoul Central District Court on Thursday delivered a one-year prison sentence for Hong, finding him guilty of intimidation involving a weapon.
The court concluded that the suspect committed the crime out of the delusion that Han was tormenting him but found him not guilty of the stalking charge, saying that his crime was a one-off affair.
Hong was briefly restrained by court guards during the ruling after he shouted, “The country has harassed me,” and “Stop preventing me from speaking,” following the sentencing.
(Yonhap)
