Man fined for assaulting soldiers who refused to praise Kim Jong

A man in his 20s has been fined 7 million won ($5,200) for abusing and assaulting junior soldiers during military service.

According to Incheon District Court on Tuesday, the 24-year-old was found guilty of abusing and assaulting soldiers while he was on his compulsory military service last year.

The man is reported to have punched two soldiers five times on Sept. 10, 2022. The incident occurred at an army camp in Gyeonggi Province when two soldiers refused to say "Long live Kim Jong-un, Long live Putin!”

He is said to have subjected the two lower-ranking soldiers to habitual abuse and violence.

He also forced soldiers to attend religious events, and if they refused, he started strangling and twisting their arms. The man also reportedly handed out unusual punishments, including physical punishment while naked in front of other soldiers.

It was found that the abuse affected a total of 10 victims in the same military camp.

In its ruling, the court said that, “Although the crime is serious, the attacker admitted to all of his offenses and all the victims expressed their intention not to punish him during the investigation.”