Man who poured pesticide into village stew, claiming he was 'catching flies,' loses appeal

A man in his 60s who poured pesticide into food being prepared for villagers has had his prison sentence upheld on appeal.

The First Criminal Division of the Seoul High Court's Chuncheon bench, presided over by Chief Judge Lee Eun-hye, dismissed a prosecution appeal and upheld the original sentence of one year and six months in prison for the defendant, identified only as A, 62, on charges of attempted murder.

A was indicted on charges of attempted murder after pouring pesticide into a spicy fish stew that villagers in Chuncheon had prepared for a communal lunch in June 2024, while intoxicated, in an attempt to kill an unspecified number of people. The attempt did not succeed.

The residents grew suspicious after noticing an unusual smell coming from the stew and no one ate it. The amount of pesticide added was also small, so no one was harmed.

At his first trial, A claimed he had been in a state of diminished mental capacity, saying, "I was very drunk at the time and put it in to catch flies, but I don't clearly remember the specific circumstances."

The court rejected the argument and handed down a prison sentence, ordering A taken into custody in the courtroom. "Even taking into account that the crime amounted to an impossible attempt, there is a need for strict punishment," the court said.

Prosecutors, who had sought a sentence of two years and six months, appealed, arguing the penalty was unjustifiably lenient. The appellate court found the original sentencing appropriate and dismissed the appeal.