Man jailed again for stalking victim just four days after release

A man in his 60s who served three years in prison for stalking and other crimes returned to his victim just four days after release, threatened the victim and continued making repeated approaches — and has now been sentenced to prison again.

Judge Park Dong-wook of the Chuncheon District Court's Criminal Division 3 sentenced A (67) to one year in prison Saturday on charges of violating the Act on Punishment of Stalking Crimes. The court also ordered A to complete a 40-hour stalking treatment program.

A was indicted on charges of approaching store owner B at a supermarket in Chuncheon in June, saying, "Aren't you going to greet me? I just got out of prison."

At the time, A had been out of prison for only four days after completing a three-year sentence for aggravated extortion and stalking. When B retreated inside the store and locked the door, A kicked it.

Police who responded to B's call warned A not to approach B again. About a month later, however, A returned to the same store and demanded, "Do you have a problem with me?" Police were again called and removed A from the scene.

The approaches did not stop even after a police investigation. In August, A went back to the store and was found to have shouted, "Let's see how far this goes" and "I'm paying fines and getting investigated because of you — I won't let this go."

The court cited as aggravating factors A's resumption of criminal conduct immediately after release and the absence of any restitution to the victim.

"The stalking began just four days after release from prison, and the victim appears to have suffered considerable psychological distress — yet the harm has not been remedied and forgiveness has not been granted," Judge Park said in explaining the sentence.

Meanwhile, data obtained from the Korean National Police Agency by Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Kim Nam-hee showed that 543 of the 2,760 murders recorded from 2023 through September this year — or 19.7 percent — were preceded by prior offenses by the same perpetrator, including domestic violence, intimate partner violence, stalking and sexual assault.