▲ A man in his 60s who rented an orchard and caused the "Gyeongbuk Wildfire" arrives for his pre-trial detention hearing at the Uiseong Branch of the Daegu District Court in Uiseong-gun, Gyeongbuk Province, on April 24 of last year.
An orchard tenant indicted on charges of causing the worst wildfire in history in Gyeongbuk Province last March has received a suspended prison sentence in the appeals court as well.
On the 16th, the Criminal Appeal Division 2-1 of the Daegu District Court dismissed the prosecutors' appeal in the trial of a man surnamed Jeong, who was indicted for violating the Forest Protection Act.
The lower court previously sentenced Jeong to two years and six months in prison, suspended for three years, along with an order for probation and 120 hours of community service.
The prosecution had appealed the ruling on the grounds of unfair sentencing, arguing that the 1st-instance sentence was too lenient.
During the final sentencing hearing, the prosecution had demanded a three-year prison term for Jeong.
Jeong was sent to trial for allegedly burning agricultural byproduct residues at an orchard in Yonggi-ri, Angye-myeon, Uiseong-gun, Gyeongbuk Province, at around 11:44 a.m. on March 22 of last year, and leaving the scene without verifying whether the embers were completely extinguished, causing the fire to spread to the surrounding areas.
At the time, wildfires broke out in two locations within Uiseong-gun: Angye-myeon and Anpyeong-myeon.
Driven by strong winds, the fires starting from both locations spread to Andong, Cheongsong, Yeongyang, and Yeongdeok. Forest authorities deployed personnel and equipment mobilized from across the country, completely extinguishing the main fires after 149 hours.
The wildfire caused 67 casualties, including 27 deaths and 40 injuries, across five cities and counties such as Uiseong and Andong.
The damaged area was recorded at 99,289 hectares, the largest in history, and left approximately 3,500 people displaced.
Meanwhile, another individual identified by the surname Shin, who was indicted for starting a wildfire while burning saplings around his grandparents' grave in Goesan-ri, Anpyeong-myeon, Uiseong-gun—another ignition point—was sentenced to two years in prison, suspended for three years, with 120 hours of community service in the 1st instance.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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