Prosecutors Seek 2-Year Prison Sentence for Woman in Her 40s Who Spat on Police During Vote-Counting Center Protest

▲ A woman who spat on a police officer during a protest blocking the Jamsil vote-counting center

Prosecutors have demanded a prison sentence for a woman in her 40s accused of assaulting and insulting police officers and fellow demonstrators at a vote-counting center protest site.

During the first trial for 45-year-old Kim held at the Seoul Eastern District Court today (September 8), prosecutors asked the court to sentence her to two years in prison.

Kim was the first among the participants of the vote-counting center protests to be formally arrested and indicted last July.

Prosecutors stated, "The nature of the crime is severe as she assaulted and insulted police officers and also attacked a fellow demonstrator whom she had no prior acquaintance with," adding, "We ask for a two-year prison sentence, taking into account mitigating circumstances such as her depression."

Investigations showed that Kim repeatedly picked fights with and assaulted other protest participants in June, while the vote-counting center protests were in full swing.

She is also accused of obstructing official duties by trying to film a patrolling police officer while asking, "Are you Chinese police?" and spitting on the officer's face twice when stopped.

The number of victims, including protesters and police officers, has been tallied at five.

On June 25, the court issued an arrest warrant for Kim, stating that there was a risk of flight and the possibility of reoffending.

Kim's defense counsel stated, "She admits to all the charges in the indictment and is remorseful," adding, "She participated in the rally out of a belief that people's suffering from the infringement of their voting rights should not be ignored, and committed the crimes unintentionally due to misunderstandings at the scene."

The defense also requested leniency, stating, "She suffers from mental illness and was in a state of extreme anxiety and agitation at the time of the crimes. Please take into consideration that she admits to the offenses, deeply regrets them, and is making efforts to reach a settlement."

The next trial for Kim will be held on the 29th.

(Photo: Yonhap News)

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