The Korea Herald

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Man fined 2 million won for spiking a stranger's drink with laxatives

By Park Ye-eun

Published : Aug. 16, 2023 - 17:24

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Students study for the Suneung, Korea’s annual college entrance exam. (Newsis) Students study for the Suneung, Korea’s annual college entrance exam. (Newsis)

A man in his 20s was fined 2 million-won ($1,500) for spiking another man's drink with laxatives last year.

The victim, a 19-year old preparing for the national college entrance exam, developed enteritis and suffered from emotional distress after the incident, which the victim claimed affected his performance in the exam.

The incident took place on Aug. 30 last year, just two months before South Korea’s state-administered college entrance exam, in Seoul's Gangnam area.

The suspect and the victim had no prior acquaintance, and the suspect allegedly spiked the victim's coffee with laxatives.

The prosecution reported that the suspect had tampered with another person's belongings and charged him with property damage offenses and assault.

Accordingly, the prosecution handed down a fine of 2 million won, but the alleged perpetrator reportedly filed for a formal trial against the decision.

“Deliberately (adding) laxatives to the coffee of another student with whom he has no prior acquaintance amounts to a random crime,” the court stated.

The court announced that it considered the assailant’s confession and the fact that he had offered 2 million won to the victim in determining the punishment.