A man in his 20s was brought to trial on charges of unlawfully breaking into the residence of the idol group NewJeans and stealing items, and he was sentenced to a fine in the first trial.
Judge Kim Min-jung of the 9th Criminal Division of the Seoul Western District Court sentenced Mr. Kim (28) to a fine of 10 million won on the 23rd for charges of trespassing and theft. Previously, the prosecution sought a 10-month prison sentence for Mr. Kim.
Mr. Kim was indicted without detention for unlawfully trespassing twice into the former residence of NewJeans in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, last December, stealing hangers and banners, and filming the interior to post on an online community. At the time, NewJeans had declared the termination of their contract with their agency ADOR and had vacated the residence, and it is reported that the door was not locked.
Judge Kim noted, 'The location of the crime was a residence no longer inhabited by celebrities, which relatively reduced the concern of directly infringing on their privacy,' and 'Taking into account that Mr. Kim acknowledged his crime and showed a remorseful attitude from the investigation and that he is a first-time offender with no prior criminal record,' she explained the reasons for the sentencing.