Latest news with #UlsanDistrictCourt
Korea Herald
13-07-2025
- Korea Herald
Homeless man jailed for breaking into homes, eatery to eat noodles
A homeless man in his 60s has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for a series of break-ins to steal and eat noodles and other snacks from homes and restaurants. The Ulsan District Court announced Sunday that the man was found guilty of habitual theft under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes. Although the financial damage was minor, the court imposed a heavy sentence due to his history of similar offenses and the fact that he was already on probation. His charges included breaking into a vacant house in Ulsan last December to steal a bag of instant ramen, which he cooked and ate in the kitchen. The following month, he broke into a restaurant in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province, where he consumed ramyeon, chicken feet, and two bottles of soju. Authorities found that the man had been homeless since his release from prison in December and had resorted to stealing food from empty buildings when he was hungry.
Korea Herald
30-06-2025
- Korea Herald
Man's celebrity kidnap plot foiled by sex offender he tried to recruit as accomplice
A man in his 60s has been sentenced to 30 months in prison for plotting to abduct multiple celebrities for ransom, having been foiled when he attempted to recruit an accomplice from a government list of registered sex offenders. The Ulsan District Court recently found the man guilty of making preparations to commit robbery, under Article 343 of the Criminal Act. He was also ordered to wear an electronic anklet tracking device for five years after release. The defendant in November schemed to kidnap several well-known celebrities, star lecturers and members of wealthy families. He acquired the home addresses and license plate numbers of the targets, took weapons, binoculars, handcuffs, and zip ties from his home in Ulsan to Seoul during his weeklong reconnaissance. His downfall came after looking for an accomplice on a government-run website that publicizes sex offenders' personal information. He met someone he contacted via the information on the site, suggesting "a good business proposition with profit of between 1 billion won and 2 billion won ($740,000-$1.4 million)." He explained the details of the plan, but when the person did not respond to his proposition he decided to go it alone. During the defendant's preparations in Seoul, he was arrested by police, who were tipped off by the person he had approached to help him. The defendant claimed that he never intended to actually carry out the crime, but the court rejected his claim. It pointed out that the defendant had planned the crime in detail and prepared equipment for it, and researched the areas where the targets lived. It also noted that the defendant had been convicted of robbery in the past.
Korea Herald
06-05-2025
- Korea Herald
Student jailed for campus arson spree
A man in his 20s has been sentenced to prison for starting a series of fires on a university campus in Ulsan, a local court said Tuesday. The Ulsan District Court handed down an 18-month prison sentence for starting fires at least five locations on and off campus in February, including areas near a dormitory, a path beside a university building, and grassy areas outside the school. At the time of the arson, he was enrolled at the university as an exchange student. The investigation found that the defendant initially set fire to his blanket and notebook at a smoking booth on campus. He then returned home to collect papers and notebooks, came back, and started additional fires in other locations, resulting in approximately 50 square meters of forested land near one of the university buildings being scorched. The fires were put out quickly, and no significant damage was reported. The defendant was convicted of arson of personal property under Korean law, which prohibits setting fire to one's own belongings in a manner that endangers public safety. During the trial, the defendant admitted to setting fire to items at the smoking booth but denied starting any fires outside of it. The court, however, rejected his claim, citing a series of fires that broke out along the path he had taken, burnt notebooks found at the scene bearing his name, and security camera footage showing that he was the only person seen entering the nearby grassy areas at the time of the fire. His attempt to flee to his home country of China was considered an aggravating factor in the court's decision. 'The defendant saw students and staff trying to extinguish the fire he had started at the smoking booth but took no action. Instead, he went home, brought more materials, and set additional fires. He also attempted to flee to China the following day," the court said.
