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South Korea sentences people to prison who repeatedly threatened to kill the president

Mar 25, 2024

Seoul [South Korea], March 25: A court in Seoul sentenced a man to 2 months in prison for repeatedly calling the police station and threatening to kill the South Korean president.
Yonhap news agency on March 25, citing a judicial source, said that the 61-year-old defendant, surnamed Kim, was prosecuted for calling Korea's emergency line 112 times on July 7, 2023, threatening "I will kill the president." and "I will leave this world".
The police were then sent to Mr. Kim's residence but found no signs of suicidal thoughts.
Although the defendant's mind was unstable due to the influence of alcohol, the Seoul Northern District Court said it sentenced Mr. Kim to 2 months in prison for re-offending. Previously, he was convicted of similar charges in 2020 and 2023. In Korea , there have been a series of attacks targeting politicians recently. In January, Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung was stabbed in the neck by a stranger during a visit to Busan. Mr. Lee lost blood but was treated promptly.
Then, the same month, congressman Bae Hyun-jin of the People's Power Party, the ruling party in South Korea, was hit in the back of the head by a stranger on a Seoul street. Ms. Bae was taken to the hospital bleeding but her injuries were not considered life-threatening.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper