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Prosecutors appeal 'light' sentence for man who assaulted pregnant wife

Published: 03 Aug. 2025, 14:08

KOREA JOONGANG DAILY]

Prosecutors have appealed a court ruling that fined a man for repeatedly assaulting and threatening his pregnant wife "because she was asking for too much."

The Chuncheon District Court’s Wonju branch sentenced a man to a fine of 7 million won ($5,000) for multiple offenses including bodily injury, special intimidation and assault.

The man was accused of injuring his wife — who was pregnant at the time — by shaking and pushing her during an argument at their apartment in Suncheon, South Jeolla, around 8 p.m. on Aug. 12, 2023. She required two weeks of medical treatment.

The argument began because the wife "was asking for too much," according to reports.

The man reportedly grabbed, hit and shoved her and threatened to kill her while stabbing the wall with "a dangerous object," on Sept. 3, 2024, at another apartment in Wonju, Gangwon.

The violence continued on Dec. 2 of the same year. During yet another argument around 7 p.m., he again assaulted her, smashed her phone and damaged a bedroom door with a dangerous object taken from the kitchen.

“The defendant committed three separate assaults against their spouse, and the fact that one of them occurred during pregnancy makes the offenses especially serious,” the court said.

However, the court considered the defendant’s admission of most charges and lack of a prior criminal record in determining the sentence.

Following the first trial’s ruling, the prosecution appealed, arguing that the sentence was too light. The case will now be reviewed by an appellate court at the Chuncheon District Court.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY JEONG JAE-HONG [[email protected]]