A man in his 30s charged with breaking into the home of actress Nana, a former member of the girl group After School, and threatening her with a knife received a lengthy prison term on appeal as well.
The Seoul High Court's Criminal Division 14-3, presided over by high court judges Jung Kyung-keun, Lee Hyung-keun and Lee Hyun-woo, sentenced the man, identified by his surname Kim, to seven years in prison on the 22nd on charges of robbery resulting in injury. The term is identical to the one handed down in the first trial.
Kim was indicted on charges of robbery resulting in injury after breaking into Nana's home in Acheon-dong, Guri, Gyeonggi Province, in the early hours of Nov. 15 last year while carrying a knife, then threatening the actress and her mother — including by choking them — in an attempt to extort money. Nana, whose real name is Lim Jin-ah, and her mother submitted medical certificates stating they sustained injuries requiring 33 days and 31 days of recovery, respectively.
The lower court found Kim guilty on the main charges and sentenced him to seven years. "Nana's actions were taken to defend against an unlawful infringement of her own and her mother's legally protected interests, and there were substantial grounds for them, so it is reasonable to regard them as self-defense," the first-trial court said, adding that "the victims suffered considerable physical and psychological distress" as a result of Kim's actions.
The appellate court said the lower court had imposed its sentence after weighing that Kim "committed robbery resulting in injury by breaking into a residence at night, when absolute peace must be guaranteed, while carrying a knife, making severe punishment unavoidable," as well as the considerable harm inflicted on the victims and the victims' wish for punishment.