A soldier who worked as a sentry at the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) building and stole valuables from officers' offices has been given a suspended prison sentence.

Judge Kim Ji-young of the Daejeon District Court, Criminal Division 11, sentenced the 22-year-old soldier, identified as A, to eight months in prison, suspended for two years, on charges including nighttime burglary. The court also ordered 160 hours of community service.

A was indicted for entering offices and reception rooms at the JCS building late at night in August 2024 and stealing cash, gift certificates, and commemorative coins.

Investigations revealed that A used a master key he had been entrusted with because no duty officers were present during the Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) military exercise.

In some instances, A committed the thefts alongside senior or junior soldiers, and most of the stolen items belonged to officers within his unit.

Judge Kim stated, "The number of offenses is significant, and the total value of the stolen goods is not small, making the nature of the crime serious. The defendant even profited by selling some of the commemorative coins and gift certificates through second-hand trading platforms." However, the judge added, "We have considered mitigating factors, such as the fact that some of the stolen items were returned, the victims have requested leniency, and the defendant is a first-time offender with no prior criminal record."

(Photo: Yonhap News TV capture, Yonhap News)