A woman in her 40s has been sentenced to six months in prison and ordered to complete a 40-hour stalking treatment program for repeatedly stalking singer and actor Rain and actress Kim Tae Hee by visiting their home and ringing their doorbell.
The ruling was made by Criminal Division 9 of the Seoul Western District Court on January 10 KST, where Ms. A was found guilty of violating the Stalking Punishment Act. Despite being a first-time offender and not physically harming the victims, Ms. A's continuous and repeated stalking behavior, which included visiting the couple's residence and knocking on their door, led to the sentencing.
The court acknowledged that Ms. A suffers from a mental illness and might have committed the crimes while mentally and physically vulnerable. Additionally, her unclear residence and lack of family support for treatment raised concerns about the risk of reoffending. Thus, the court deemed detention, treatment, and education to prevent recurrence as necessary, even taking her health status into consideration.
Ms. A was accused of visiting Rain and Kim Tae Hee's home in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, 14 times between March and October 2022, repeatedly ringing the doorbell. Despite being notified of a misdemeanor violation, she returned to their residence on February 27 and April 7 of the following year, as well as visiting the couple's beauty salon. The prosecution had requested a one-year prison sentence and a stalking treatment program at the decision hearing held on December 8, 2023, citing the continuous nature of her crimes and the distress they caused the victims.
Hopefully that lady can get help, for everyone's sake.