'I was just too hungry': Welfare recipient sentenced to 1 year for repeat theft

A person in their 30s with multiple prior theft convictions has been sentenced to prison after stealing again, saying hunger drove the crimes.

Judge Kim Ju-hyun of the Chungju Branch of Cheongju District Court sentenced A, 36, to one year in prison on charges of violating the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes for theft, according to Yonhap.

A broke into an apartment management office in Chungju in August last year and stole a fan and one pack of instant rice worth 30,000 won ($23). A also faces charges of attempting to steal three more packs of instant rice from the same location in December of that year, only to be caught by the office manager before completing the theft.

A, who receives basic welfare benefits and had been working day labor to get by, told the court that months without work had made it impossible to endure the hunger. During the trial, A admitted to the crimes, saying, "Normally I just go without when I have no money, but that day it was so hot and I was just too hungry."

The court noted that A had already served multiple prison terms for theft yet reoffended during a repeat-offender period. "Although the scale of the damage was not large, we determined the sentence by considering factors including the absence of any compensation or settlement with the victim," the court said.