The prosecution has sought prison sentences for three men who fired thousands of airsoft pellets at dogs tied up in a restaurant yard in Geoje, South Gyeongsang Province.
According to the legal community on July 6, the Busan Eastern District Court held a sentencing hearing on July 3 for the three men in their twenties, who were charged with special property damage. Prosecutors requested two years in prison for two of the men, identified as A and B, and 18 months for the third man, C.
The three men entered the restaurant yard in Ilwon-myeon around 1 a.m. on June 8 last year and unleashed a barrage of airsoft pellets at three dogs. Among the intruders, B and C are military personnel, and the military prosecution has also been investigating the incident.
According to the investigation, one of the dogs, a 7-year-old named 'Somsomi,' was transported to a veterinary hospital with severe bruising but later died. Another dog, 'Maehwa,' had one eye removed, and a third dog, 'Kkae,' died in May.
The military prosecution's investigation revealed that the airsoft gunfire lasted approximately 37 minutes. Lawmakers, including Baek Seon-hee of the Justice Reform Party, received a report from the Ministry of National Defense stating that the perpetrators filmed the incident for enjoyment.
The three men approached the restaurant at 1:20 a.m., shone a light to locate the dogs, and used two airsoft guns to repeatedly fire pellets at the three Jack Russell Terriers or throw stones at them. The airsoft guns they had prepared were identified as a 20 cm by 14 cm replica gun and a 19 cm by 14 cm Glock 17 airsoft gun. Possession of replica firearms requires permission from the police chief in the respective city or province due to their similarity to real firearms.
However, no charges were filed regarding the death of 'Somsomi,' as it could not be conclusively determined that the airsoft pellets caused the death.
Animal protection groups held a press conference outside the courthouse after the prosecution's sentencing request, calling the incident a serious act of violence rather than mere animal cruelty, and urged for severe punishment.
The court is expected to deliver its verdict on August 18.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.