Homeless man jailed for breaking into homes, eatery to eat noodles

A homeless man in his 60s has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for a series of break-ins to steal and eat noodles and other snacks from homes and restaurants.

The Ulsan District Court announced Sunday that the man was found guilty of habitual theft under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes. Although the financial damage was minor, the court imposed a heavy sentence due to his history of similar offenses and the fact that he was already on probation.

His charges included breaking into a vacant house in Ulsan last December to steal a bag of instant ramen, which he cooked and ate in the kitchen. The following month, he broke into a restaurant in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province, where he consumed ramyeon, chicken feet, and two bottles of soju.

Authorities found that the man had been homeless since his release from prison in December and had resorted to stealing food from empty buildings when he was hungry.