Man in His 20s Who Deliberately Crashed Into Drunk Driver’s Car and Extorted 16 Million Won Sentenced to Prison

[Financial News] A man in his 20s who chased a drunk driver’s vehicle, deliberately caused a crash, and then extorted money through threats has been sentenced to a prison term.
According to the legal community on the 19th, Judge Kang Hyun-ho of the Cheongju District Court’s Single-Judge Criminal Division 4 sentenced A (28), who had been detained and indicted on charges of joint extortion under the Act on the Punishment of Violent Acts, to one year and six months in prison.
From February 2024 over the course of about a month, A was brought to trial on charges of chasing vehicles driven by drunk drivers together with friends in the Cheongju and Jincheon County areas, deliberately causing collisions on five occasions, and extorting about 16 million won.
The investigation found that A loitered around nightclubs and bars to select his targets, then drove a passenger car or motorcycle to cause rear-end collisions.
After causing the collisions, he is said to have threatened the victims by using physical force, such as twisting their arms.
Some of the victims were acquaintances of A, and it is reported that he committed these crimes by exploiting the fact that they had a habit of driving after drinking.
The court pointed out, “The social and economic costs consumed as a result of the defendant’s crimes are significant, and the extent of the defendant’s involvement is also serious.”
However, it added, “In determining the sentence, the court took into account, among other factors, that some of the victims do not wish for the defendant to be punished.”
newssu@fnnews.com Kim Soo-yeon Reporter