Appeal Rejected for 70-Year-Old Who Insulted Battle of Yeonpyeong Bereaved Families

A 70-year-old man who insulted the bereaved families of fallen soldiers from the Battle of Yeonpyeong online appealed his 2 million won fine from the first trial, but his appeal was dismissed by the appellate court.

Mr. A (70), who was brought to trial on charges of insult, is accused of posting defamatory comments along with profanity on a post containing a video of bereaved family member B of the Battle of Yeonpyeong incident. In the interview, B expressed regret that the Battle of Yeonpyeong received relatively less attention compared to the sinking of the ROKS Cheonan.

The first trial court, considering factors such as the defendant's lack of remorse, imposed a fine of 2 million won, which was heavier than the summary order.

In the appellate trial, Mr. A argued that he was not insulting Mr. B but criticizing the original poster of the article. However, the court, based on Mr. B's interview content, determined that Mr. A had insulted Mr. B directly and rejected the appeal.

Consequently, Mr. A was sentenced to the same fine of 2 million won as in the original ruling.