Woman in her 40s jailed for 10 months after assaulting protesters and spitting at police during ballot-counting station protest

[Financial News] A woman in her 40s who caused a disturbance at a ballot-counting station protest, assaulting another participant and spitting at a police officer, was sentenced to prison.
On the 27th, the Seoul Eastern District Court’s Criminal Single-Judge Division 9, presided over by Judge Lee Ji-min, sentenced Kim, 45, who had been indicted while in custody on charges including assault, obstruction of business and obstruction of the performance of official duties, to 10 months in prison.
Kim is accused of repeatedly committing offenses, including picking fights with and assaulting other participants at the ballot-counting station protest on June 22–23. Investigators found that she swore at and spat at protest participants and police officers who tried to restrain her.
She is also accused of obstructing the performance of official duties by approaching a police officer on patrol, asking, “Aren’t you a Chinese police officer?” and trying to film, then spitting twice in the face of an officer who tried to stop her.
A total of five protest participants and police officers were victimized by Kim’s actions. On July 7, Kim became the first participant in the ballot-counting station protest to be indicted while in custody.
Prosecutors (now the Public Prosecution Office) sought a two-year prison sentence for Kim at the first hearing, held on the 8th.
The court treated Kim’s admission of the offenses and apparent remorse as favorable factors in sentencing. It also considered that manic symptoms and impaired impulse control, which emerged after she stopped taking her medication on her own while receiving treatment following a 2024 diagnosis of bipolar affective disorder (manic depression), had affected her actions.
The court concluded that a prison sentence was unavoidable, considering the repeated offenses, her disregard for public authority, the risk of reoffending and other factors.
The court noted, “The defendant repeatedly committed offenses such as violence and obstruction of business, and showed disregard for public authority by insulting police officers or obstructing the performance of official duties,” adding, “She has little respect for the law and poses a high risk of reoffending.”
The fact that she had not reached settlements with most of the victims also weighed against her at sentencing.
However, the court took into account that one police officer who was the victim of the insult offense reached a settlement with Kim and withdrew the complaint, and dismissed the charge in that respect.


[email protected] Lee Dong-hyuk Reporter