Background
In May 2023 the defendant was drinking in a private room of a nightclub in Seoul with the victim, a man in his twenties who worked at a bar the defendant ran. When an acquaintance of the victim entered the room, the defendant became angry that the person had come in without his permission and began swearing.
When the victim objected, the defendant swung a glass at his face, struck his abdomen several times with a liquor bottle, and stabbed his thigh with a broken glass. The victim suffered injuries, including a fractured rib, requiring about four weeks of treatment.
What Was at Stake
Fights over drinks are often treated as simple assault or injury. Using objects capable of causing serious harm, however, makes the offense aggravated injury, which is punished more severely. The defendant's multiple prior convictions for violence also mattered for sentencing.
How Changchun Helped
Law Firm Changchun represented the victim's side in the criminal proceedings. The court held as follows:
Aggravated injury. The glass, the liquor bottle, and the broken glass were all dangerous objects, so the aggravated offense applied.
The gravity of the offense. Despite many similar prior convictions, the defendant had again used violence, by a dangerous method, causing serious injury.
Outcome
In April 2025 the first-instance court sentenced the defendant to one year's imprisonment, suspended for three years, with two years of probation and 120 hours of community service, and imposed a special condition restricting his drinking. His admission and settlement with the victim were considered in mitigation.
Even a fight over drinks can be punished as aggravated injury when dangerous objects are used. Victims should prepare early to pursue both accountability and compensation. (Outcomes depend on the facts of each case.)