A man in his 50s faces a two-year suspended sentence after stealing 502 gift certificates designated for firefighters from a department store display in Busan.
Details of the Theft
The theft occurred over three occasions between October and November last year. The suspect reached into an acrylic sculpture on the store’s 10th floor, extracting the certificates from the neck area. These items, valued at 29 million won, were exhibited inside the sculpture but had already been slated for disposal, rendering them unusable.
Court Ruling and Prior Record
Busan District Court Judge Shim Hak-sik imposed a one-year prison term, suspended for two years. The ruling accounts for the suspect’s prior convictions for similar offenses.
Judge Shim stated, “Even with nationwide precedents of such punishments in previous cases, the defendant repeated the crime.” He added, “This severity influenced the sentencing decision.”
