Man jailed for 5 years for stabbing fraud suspect in court

A 51-year-old man surnamed Kang who stabbed a defendant on trial for cryptocurrency fraud has been sentenced to five years in prison.

Seoul Southern District Court on Friday found Kang guilty of attempted murder, saying that his actions severely damaged the people's faith in the judicial system.

"Under no circumstances can an act of vigilantism, which could unjustly infringe upon an individual's rights, be permitted," the court said in its ruling.

Kang claimed that he had not been of sound mind when he committed the attack, which the court dismissed. Article 10 of the Criminal Act states that one who is mentally unfit to make discriminations or control themselves -- including temporary impairment such as intoxication -- is not to be punished.

The attack occurred during the eighth hearing for the head of a local cryptocurrency investment firm accused of illegally swindling some 1.39 trillion won ($951 million) from its clients. The company's management is on trial without physical detention after being released on bail in July 2024.

Kang was one of the victims of the large-scale fraud; he was found to have lost around 100 bitcoins because of the company.

The court said it took into account the fact that Kang suffered a significant loss of his investment, the mental pain from which appeared to have influenced the crime.