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Hagwon head sentenced to year in prison for breaking into students' homes

Published: 16 Jul. 2025, 11:30

A handcuffed prisoner in jail [GETTY IMAGES BANK]

The head of a music hagwon, or private cram school, who broke into the home of students and stole valuables, was sentenced to one year in prison.

The Daegu District Court announced the ruling on Wednesday, handing down the prison term to the defendant, who was charged with theft as well as breaking and entering.

The court explained that the defendant’s crimes were particularly egregious in light of the method and frequency of the offenses. It also noted that most of the stolen property had not been recovered and that the victims had not forgiven him.

According to court findings, the defendant obtained the front door password and layout of one student's home while teaching the student at their academy. On Feb. 21, during a lunch hour, they entered the student’s residence and stole five rings and an earring worth approximately 1.2 million won ($866).

The defendant’s thefts did not end there. In a separate case, they memorized the front door password entered by a student and later broke into that student’s home in March and April, stealing items, including a pure gold necklace worth around 8.9 million won.

Investigators found that between February and May, the defendant secretly entered the homes of four different students on five occasions, stealing valuables worth an estimated total of over 20 million won.

The defendant told the court they committed the crimes in order to repay their debts.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY CHO MUN-GYU [[email protected]]