Perpetrator in 'Busan Roundhouse Kick' Case Receives Additional One-Year Prison Term for Retaliatory Threats Against Victim

According to Financial News, the perpetrator in the so-called "Busan roundhouse kick" case, who received a final sentence of 20 years in prison for brutally assaulting a woman on her way home, has been given an additional one-year prison term for making retaliatory threats against the victim.
On the 12th, Criminal Division 1 of the Busan District Court’s Western Branch, presided over by Chief Judge Kim Ju-gwan, sentenced a man in his 30s, surnamed Lee, to one year in prison. He had been indicted on charges including violating the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes (retaliatory threats, etc.), insult, and coercion.
Lee was brought to trial for making retaliatory remarks in February 2023, shortly after the first-instance verdict in the Busan roundhouse kick case. While being held at Busan Detention Center, he allegedly mentioned the victim’s home address to a fellow inmate, who is also a YouTuber, identified as A, and made statements suggesting retaliation.
In addition, Lee was charged with sending a threatening letter to his ex-girlfriend and coercing a fellow inmate in the same cell to bring in purchased items during visits.
Lee denied the allegations, saying, "I had absolutely no reason or intention to retaliate against the victim in the roundhouse kick case, nor did I ever say such things." The court, however, did not accept his claims.
The court stated, "The testimony of the witnesses related to this case is consistent, and they have no reason to fabricate their statements." It went on, "The defendant committed a serious crime that threatened the victim’s life and, even after being imprisoned, showed no remorse and went on to commit additional offenses. The victim has suffered renewed pain because of this case, and the defendant’s culpability is therefore grave."
The panel added, "In determining the sentence, we took into account that the offenses in this case are in a concurrent-offense relationship with the prior crime."
The victim, identified by the pseudonym Kim Jin-ju, who attended the sentencing hearing, said, "I think the sentence is too light," and added, "When it comes to retaliatory crimes, where harm to one person leads to further harm, I cannot help but wonder if this is really the best we can do."
Kim continued, "When perpetrators of murder or sexual assault make retaliatory threats against victims, the victims experience immense suffering, but because the retaliation is not actually carried out, the state seems to treat it far too lightly." She stressed, "There is a clear need to redefine the sentencing guidelines for crimes involving retaliatory threats."
Meanwhile, Lee is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence confirmed by the Supreme Court of Korea in September 2023 for the so-called "Busan roundhouse kick" case. On May 22, 2022, in a residential area of Busanjin District in Busan, he followed a woman he did not know, identified as Kim, with the intent to sexually assault her and then attacked her.
newssu@fnnews.com Kim Su-yeon Reporter