A former entertainment agency CEO who assaulted an underaged idol with a blunt object has been sentenced to a suspended prison term in the first trial.
According to News1 on January 29, Judge Lee Kyung Sun of the Seoul Central District Court's Criminal Division 16 sentenced former agency CEO 'A' to one year in prison, suspended for three years, on charges of aggravated assault, special battery, and child abuse. Additionally, 'A' was ordered to complete 120 hours of community service. This means the CEO doesn't have to serve the 1 year prison time unless they break the law during the three-year probation period.
The former CEO was indicted for physically assaulting members of an idol group at their dormitory in June of last year. At the time, the CEO was reportedly intoxicated, and the police launched an investigation after one of the assaulted members reported the incident.
Furthermore, the CEO was accused of assaulting a minor member, 'B,' for allegedly dating a manager. The CEO questioned 'B' about violating the agency's rules and, when 'B' denied the accusation, but struck him multiple times on the thighs and buttocks.
In addition, the CEO allegedly used a metal rod to assault 'B' and other group members for having a dirty bathroom in their dormitory.
The court stated, "The defendant repeatedly assaulted a minor, who was unable to resist or defend himself, using a hanger rod, causing injuries that required four weeks of medical treatment. The severity of the assault was extreme, to the point where the rod broke."
The judge further criticized the CEO’s actions, saying, "He struck the victims, who were fellow agency artists, on the head with a hanger rod. Considering the means of assault and the targeted areas, the attack was extremely dangerous. The nature of the crime is also severe based on the circumstances at the time."
However, the court considered mitigating factors, stating, "The defendant admitted to all charges and stepped down from his position as CEO. He reached a settlement of 80 million KRW (~56,000 USD) with some of the victims and has also reconciled with the remaining victims. Additionally, he has no prior criminal record beyond fines and no history of similar offenses."
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