You cannot steal a candle just because you are reading the Bible.
Before sentencing former President Yoon Suk-yeol, indicted as the leader of an insurrection, to life imprisonment on the 19th, Director General Judge Jee Kui-youn said this. This sentence is known in Korea as a Western proverb, and it became famous after appearing as a line in the 2023 Netflix drama "Juvenile Justice."
The Criminal Agreement Division 25 of the Seoul Central District Court (presiding judge Director General Judge Jee Kui-youn) sentenced the former president to life imprisonment at the sentencing hearing in the case on the charge of being the leader of an insurrection.
The court found that Yoon, by declaring the Dec. 3 emergency martial law and sending the military to the National Assembly to seal it off, met the Criminal Act's elements of insurrection, namely a "purpose of subverting the constitutional order" and a "riot."
Presiding Director General Judge Jee said, "Defendant Yoon Suk-yeol and the defense said the declaration of emergency martial law was to break through a national crisis posed by the National Assembly, which had become little different from an anti-state force by hampering the government at every turn with unreasonable impeachment moves and budget cuts, and to defend the liberal democratic system, and therefore emergency martial law cannot constitute the insurrection offense with the purpose of subverting the constitutional order."
The judge continued, "In the court's view, this appears to confuse the motive, reason, and pretext for doing something with its purpose," adding, "Even if there was a judgment that the nation was in crisis and a desire to set it right, setting aside the question of its legitimacy, that is nothing more than a motive, reason, or pretext, and cannot be seen as the purpose of sending the military to the National Assembly."
Director General Judge Jee said, "Because of such motives or reasons, defendant Yoon Suk-yeol and Kim Yong-hyun came to have the purpose of sending the military to blockade the National Assembly, to hinder or paralyze its activities for a considerable period, and to render it unable to perform its functions properly," and added, "The wrongdoing of proceeding to actions such as declaring emergency martial law, deploying troops, and attempting to blockade the National Assembly as means to achieve that purpose must be clearly distinguished." The judge then said, "You cannot steal a candle just because you are reading the Bible."
The phrase "You cannot steal a candle just because you are reading the Bible" is an idiomatic expression often cited in Korea's Christian community. It means that even with a good purpose, illegal or immoral behavior cannot be justified.
This line appears in the 2023 Netflix drama "Juvenile Justice." At a high school, an exam paper leak occurred, and 23 students with excellent grades and good family backgrounds were involved under the lead of the school's Director General of Academic Affairs. The son of the Director General judge (played by Lee Sung-min), who was presiding over the case, was implicated.
The protagonist judge (played by Kim Hye-soo) said of the case, "There is a saying that you must not steal a candle to read the Bible. If the means are corrupted, the end is tainted as well." This was said because the Director General judge was preparing to enter politics to amend the Juvenile Act and proceeded with the trial in a way favorable to the son so as not to hinder that plan.