Man's prison sentence increased on appeal for threatening ex-President Moon Jae-in

An appellate court has increased the prison sentence for a 35-year-old man who threatened to kill former President Moon Jae-in, handing down a six-month jail term. The man had previously received a suspended sentence in the first trial.

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The appellate court found the initial sentence insufficient for deterrence, citing the waste of police resources and the impossibility of victim recovery.

The incident occurred on October 13, 2024, when the accused, identified as A, posted a message on an online community from his workplace in Cheonan City, vowing to kill Moon Jae-in. He accompanied the threat with a photograph of a gas-powered BB pistol, which was identified as a replica firearm.

Following the online threat, police significantly increased security around Moon Jae-in's residence, deploying additional patrol units. The first trial court had initially sentenced A to one year in prison, suspended for two years, and ordered 80 hours of community service. The court cited A's acknowledgment of his wrongdoing and the fact that he had prior convictions for violent crimes.

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the crime resulted in the "meaningless waste" of valuable police resources that should have been allocated elsewhere, ultimately burdening the public.

However, the prosecution appealed the sentence, arguing it was too lenient. The appellate court agreed, stating that the crime resulted in the "meaningless waste" of valuable police resources that should have been allocated elsewhere, ultimately burdening the public. The court concluded that the initial sentence was insufficient to achieve general and special deterrence, leading to the imposition of the heavier six-month prison sentence without suspension.

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multiple circumstances considered, the original sentence was insufficient to achieve general and special deterrence.