The real-life person who inspired the film 'The Chaser' has been sentenced to 3 years and 6 months in prison in the second trial for assisting in the arrest of serial killer Yoo Young-chul.
The Seoul Eastern District Court's Criminal Appeals Division 3 (Judge Kim Han-seong) upheld the original ruling on the 27th in the appeal case of Mr. Noh (52), who was indicted on charges of violating the Narcotics Control Act.
In March, the first trial court sentenced Mr. Noh to 3 years and 6 months in prison and issued a confiscation order of 4.3 million won. Shortly after the first ruling, both the prosecution and Mr. Noh appealed, citing excessive sentencing.
Mr. Noh is accused of receiving 3.2 million won in cash from drug user A last year and selling 10 grams of methamphetamine. In May of the same year, he is also accused of handing A a syringe containing approximately 0.12 grams of methamphetamine.
According to the prosecution, Mr. Noh received 1.1 million won to sell approximately 10 grams of methamphetamine to A in January of last year, but the transaction failed when A was arrested by the police. After A was released, Mr. Noh reportedly contacted him again and offered to sell methamphetamine. The police, having obtained information regarding this, tracked Mr. Noh and arrested him on August 7 while he was staying at an accommodation facility.
The appeals court stated, 'The defendant claimed that the original ruling was too heavy, while the prosecutor argued it was too light, but the circumstances claimed as reasons for the appeal were already considered in the original sentence.'
Mr. Noh is the real model of the protagonist, Eom Jung-ho, played by actor Kim Yoon-seok in the film 'The Chaser.' In July 2004, he played a significant role in the arrest of serial killer Yoo Young-chul while working as an operator of an entertainment service dispatch company in Gangnam.
However, Mr. Noh is known to have repeatedly served prison time for multiple drug-use charges afterward. In October 2015, he was also sentenced to 3 years in prison for drug use.