"Don't Contact Me" Met With "Send Money"… Lingering Around Home Leads to Court Verdict

A person in their 40s who repeatedly contacted an ex-partner against their will—even mentioning a lawsuit after arguing over dating expenses—has been sentenced to a fine for stalking and other charges.

Chuncheon District Court Judge Jeong Jong-gun, presiding over Criminal Division 1, announced that he has sentenced 45-year-old A, who was indicted on charges of violating the Stalking Punishment Act, intimidation, and trespassing, to a fine of 6 million won.

According to the charge sheet, A broke up with B in May of last year and began arguing over money spent during their relationship and the credit card bills B had run up, leading B to demand that A stop contacting them.

However, starting the next day with a message saying, "Just send the money," A committed stalking offenses that caused fear and anxiety by sending messages and making missed calls a total of 61 times over a two-month period.

A also threatened B by sending messages stating, "I will sue you for fraud and let your acquaintances and workplace know," and entered B's residence without permission.

During the trial, A denied the stalking charges, claiming, "It was behavior with justifiable reasons."

However, Judge Jeong ruled, "The overall intent of the messages was that if the victim did not return the amount of money claimed by the defendant, the defendant would sue the victim and inform those around them, and resolving a civil dispute does not appear to be the primary purpose."

Explaining the sentencing rationale, Judge Jeong stated, "The culpability is not light, as the defendant committed stalking against an ex-partner, made threats, and even trespassed on their residence. The sentence was determined by taking into consideration that the defendant has no criminal record other than being fined once for a different crime and admits to some of the offenses."
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.