| An exterior view of the Seoul Central District Court (Herald DB) |
A Seoul appellate court upheld a previous ruling and prison sentence for a man who attempted to break into the Chinese Embassy while wearing a Captain America costume in mid-February.
The Seoul Central District Court on Thursday rejected an appeal filed by the man, surnamed Ahn, challenging the initial 1 1/2 year prison sentence on account of the attempted trespassing, destruction of public property and defamation.
“Considering the motive behind the crime, the significant obstruction caused to the police, the defendant’s attitude toward the police during the incident and the impact on public authority, it is difficult to alter the sentence imposed by the original court,” the court said in its verdict Thursday, handing Ahn the same 1 1/2-year prison sentence received in the first trial.
The 42-year-old defendant, a supporter of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, faced charges for attempting to break into the Chinese Embassy, breaking a glass gate at Seoul Namdaemun Police Station, swearing at a police officer, and creating a fake US military ID in mid-February.
Ahn was arrested and detained on Feb. 22.
The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office referred Ahn to a criminal trial in March.
Ahn previously pleaded for leniency in sentencing, explaining that the embassy break-in attempt was intended as a performance to deliver a political message and not to cause damage or harm to individuals.
But the court sentenced Ahn to 1 1/2 years in prison, insisting that “the defendant committed the offenses with the intent of drawing public attention in order to achieve personal and political objectives” in late May.
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