Rapper B-FREE Sentenced to Prison in Assault Case, Appeal Rejected

Rapper B-FREE, whose real name is Choi Sung-ho, has been sentenced to prison once again in his appeal trial for assaulting an apartment resident, causing visual impairment.

According to legal sources on the 2nd, the Seoul High Court's Criminal Division 3 rejected Choi Sung-ho's appeal against his conviction for assault. As a result, Choi will serve the same 1 year and 4 months prison sentence as handed down in the first trial. The prosecution's appeal was also dismissed, maintaining the original court's decision.

Choi Sung-ho was accused of punching a resident in the face during the early hours of June last year in an apartment in Jung-gu, Seoul, causing an 8-week visual impairment. The incident occurred during a dispute with a security guard over a barrier issue, leading to a commotion and the assault of a first-floor resident who protested. The victim may experience lasting effects that could disrupt daily life, although some improvement over time is possible.

The first trial court stated that "the victim suffered a potentially permanent visual impairment," making a prison sentence unavoidable. Choi's criminal record includes six prior convictions, including suspended sentences, and he committed the offense while on trial for a similar crime, which was considered an aggravating factor.

In the appeal trial, the court noted that although Choi expressed remorse and offered compensation, the victim refused to accept it and requested a severe punishment. The court did not consider the compensation offer as a factor to alter the sentence, stating, "It is difficult to see that the original sentence was beyond the reasonable scope of discretion."

Reported by Min-Kyung Lee, Ten Asia, 2min_ror@tenasia.co.kr