Spraying Soy Sauce and Vandalizing with Lacquer: Man in His 20s Sentenced to Prison for Private Retaliation-for-Hire

Court: "High Societal Risk Due to Indiscriminate Methods Used"

Targeted Homes of Three Victims, Sprayed Soy Sauce and Red Lacquer

A man in his twenties who carried out acts of private retaliation—such as spraying soy sauce on apartment doors or vandalizing them with red lacquer—has been sentenced to prison in the first trial.

Seoul Southern District Court. Photo by Jiye Lee

On August 27, Presiding Judge Seo Hyojin of Criminal Division 7 at the Seoul Southern District Court sentenced Mr. Jeong (22), who was arrested and indicted on charges of intimidation, trespassing, and property damage, to one year and six months in prison.

The court stated, "The crimes in this case were committed solely for economic gain, disregarding means or methods, and by carrying out acts of private retaliation against an unspecified number of people. The societal risk is very high, and there is a strong need for strict punishment." The court further noted, "The offenses occurred three times and significantly undermined the victims' residential security, so the harm is by no means minor. Furthermore, no restitution for the victims has been made to date, which was taken as an aggravating factor." However, his lack of social experience and young age were considered mitigating circumstances.

Jeong was arrested and indicted on charges of damaging property by, at the behest of others, visiting the homes of three people—including those in Guro District, Seoul—between April and May of this year, spraying soy sauce and red lacquer and leaving prints containing the victims' personal information.

It has been reported that Jeong received approximately 800,000 won as compensation for carrying out these acts. The retaliation-for-hire company he belonged to also reportedly threatened victims, stating they would stop only if money was deposited, and in this way extorted several million won.

Previously, at the first trial held on August 16, prosecutors requested a two-year prison sentence for Jeong. Jeong’s defense admitted all charges while pleading for leniency, arguing that he was merely a low-level operative of the retaliation-for-hire organization and, given that he is only 22 years old, has high potential for rehabilitation.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.