A man in his 30s, who assaulted tourists with Chinese and Taiwanese nationality out of resentment towards Chinese people, was sentenced to 10 months in prison in the first trial.
According to the legal community on the 3rd, Director General Ma Seong-young of the 7th Criminal Division of the Seoul Western District Court sentenced Mr. Kwak (35) to 10 months in prison on charges of special assault and assault.
Mr. Kwak reportedly chased after two female tourists in their 20s of Chinese nationality, identified as A and B, who were talking in Chinese on a bus in downtown Seoul on April 1, and after getting off the bus with them, he kicked the victims in the waist and hurled insults in Chinese, offending their mothers.
On the 6th of the same month, after mistaking two Taiwanese tourists, C and D, for Chinese people because they were speaking in Chinese at a restaurant in Mapo District, he waited outside for them to come out and followed them for about 100 meters before hitting C on the head with a soju bottle. It was revealed that Mr. Kwak became unruly when a restaurant employee intervened, biting his thigh and knee.
Director General Ma stated, "It appears to be a hate crime targeting Chinese people committed at night due to his usual hostility towards them," adding, "The victims, who were assaulted without knowing the reason, are pleading for severe punishment of the defendant."