A man in his 30s who broke into actress Nana’s home, threatened Nana and her mother with a weapon, and attempted to rob them of money and valuables has been sentenced to prison time once again in an appellate court. The defendant’s side partially denied the charges—claiming he was not carrying a weapon at the time and had no intent to commit robbery—but his arguments were ultimately rejected by the appellate court, following the lower court’s ruling.
On October 22, the Criminal Division 14-3 of the Seoul High Court (Presiding Judges Jeong Kyeong-geun, Lee Hyeong-geun, and Lee Hyeon-woo) upheld the original sentence of 7 years in prison for 34-year-old Mr. Kim, who was arrested and indicted on charges of robbery resulting in injury. The court dismissed both the defendant’s appeal—which claimed the sentence was overly harsh and requested a reduction—and the prosecution’s appeal, which requested a heavier penalty on the grounds that the sentence was too light.
In stating the grounds for the verdict, the appellate court ruled, “The original trial heavily considered the fact that the defendant broke into a residential space carrying a weapon during night hours—a time when absolute peace and safety should be guaranteed—and committed robbery resulting in injury.” The court added, “The sentence was determined by taking into comprehensive account that considerable physical and mental harm was inflicted on the victims, and that the victims still strongly demand severe punishment for the defendant.”
The court continued, “No new circumstances or special grounds have been discovered since the first-instance verdict that would warrant changing the sentencing standards,” dismissing appeals from both sides and confirming that the lower court’s judgment was just.
The incident occurred at approximately 5:40 AM on November 15 last year. At the time, Mr. Kim unlawfully trespassed into actress Nana’s home located in Acheon-dong, Guri-si, Gyeonggi Province. Investigations revealed that Mr. Kim used a ladder to climb onto the balcony before breaking inside. Upon entering the residence, Mr. Kim discovered Nana’s mother, grabbed her by the neck, and roughly threatened her while demanding money and valuables. Hearing suspicious noises, Nana came out, discovered Mr. Kim attacking her mother, and immediately engaged in a fierce physical struggle with him. Mr. Kim was subdued by Nana during the altercation and arrested by responding police officers.
Throughout the trial process, Mr. Kim strongly denied a portion of the charges against him. He claimed that he entered the residence assuming it was an empty home with the sole intention of committing theft, asserting he had no intent to rob the victims of money or valuables. Furthermore, he disputed the robbery resulting in injury charge, claiming he did not possess or carry a weapon at the scene during the crime.
Mr. Kim even went so far as to countersue Nana on charges of attempted murder and special injury, claiming he suffered physical injuries while being subdued by her. However, police investigating the countersuit determined that Nana’s actions to subdue him were taken to protect her own life and physical safety as well as her mother’s, meeting the requirements for self-defense and concluding with a non-referral decision. In response to his actions, Nana’s side filed a countersuit against Mr. Kim on charges of false accusation, taking issue with the defendant’s attitude regarding false statements.
Nana, as a victim, personally appeared in court alongside her mother as a witness during the first-instance trial in April, expressing direct anger toward the defendant. At the time, Nana looked straight at Mr. Kim and asked, “Is this fun?” before reprimanding him: “Do you think it’s fun to wander around freely after committing a robbery? Look me straight in the eyes. Is this fun?” She sharply criticized the defendant’s lack of remorse.
The first-instance court likewise rejected Mr. Kim’s excuses completely. The court rendered the 7-year prison sentence based on key evidence, including the fact that the victims’ statements regarding the defendant carrying a weapon during the crime were detailed and consistent, and that internet search records showed Mr. Kim had searched for terms related to weapon possession and punishment severity for related crimes before surrendering his mobile phone to the police.
