Man fined 3 million won for shooting BB gun at election campaigners, appeal rejected

A man in his 20s has had his 3 million won fine upheld by an appellate court for firing a BB gun at election campaigners. The Suwon High Court's Criminal Division 14 dismissed the prosecution's appeal, agreeing with the lower court's sentencing.

The appellate court stated that the original sentence was appropriate, considering the nature of the crime and all relevant circumstances. They found no new factors or significant changes since the first trial that would warrant altering the penalty.

The accused was indicted for violating the Public Official Election Act. The incident took place on May 19 of the previous year when, while driving through Siheung City, Gyeonggi Province, he rolled down his passenger window and fired a BB gun at three election campaigners belonging to the People Power Party.

In the initial trial, the court acknowledged the seriousness of the offense, citing the specific method and danger involved. However, it also considered that the defendant was a first-time offender and that some victims had expressed their wish not to pursue punishment during the investigation phase. Based on these factors, a fine of 3 million won was imposed.

The prosecution appealed the sentence, arguing that the fine was excessively lenient given the severity of the crime. However, the appellate court found the first trial's judgment to be sound and ultimately rejected the prosecution's appeal, finalizing the 3 million won fine.

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The original sentence appears to have been fairly decided, considering the sentencing criteria and all circumstances of the crime. There are no new circumstances or special changes that would warrant altering the sentence after the original ruling.