The lower court ruled against a drunk driver that ended Yoo Yeon-soo (26, former Jeju United), a promising goalie. Yoo's side is considering an appeal.
According to News 1 report, Jeju District Court Criminal Chamber 1 (senior judge Oh Ji-ae) sentenced A (36), who was put on trial for violating the Act on Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes (Dangerous Driving Penalty) and quasi-forced harassment, to four years in prison and arrested him in court on the grounds of concern about fleeing.
The court also ordered A to restrict employment in child and youth-related institutions and welfare facilities for the disabled for five years, disclose and notify personal information, and complete a sexual violence prevention treatment program. A was also accused of touching a part of a woman's body sleeping somewhere in Jeju on the afternoon of January 15 last year.
"Although the defendant agreed with some victims, the sentence was decided in consideration of the fact that the crime in this case was not good and the result of the damage was heavy, the defendant had been fined once for drunk driving, and the victim refused to receive the criminal deposit paid by the defendant," the court said.
At around 5:40 a.m. on October 28, 2022, at a crossroads in Pyoseon-myeon, Seogwipo-si, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, A was drunk with a blood alcohol content of 0.08%, which is the number of license cancellations, and drove a vehicle beyond the speed limit and crashed into another vehicle. His teammates Kim Dong-joon (30), Lim Joon-seop (21), and Yoon Jae-hyun, who were in the car together, suffered minor injuries, but Yoo Yeon-soo underwent emergency surgery.
Yoo Yeon-soo, who developed paraplegic symptoms, went through surgery and rehabilitation, but eventually ended his career by announcing his retirement at the age of 25 in November last year.
The prosecution asked the court to sentence him to five years in prison for not making any effort to recover Yoo Yeon-soo's damage at the final trial against A held in December last year. A's side belatedly deposited millions of won in criminal deposits with the Jeju District Court, but Yoo Yeon-soo's side has repeatedly appealed to the court for strict punishment, seeing it as an attempt to "reduce the trick."
Yoo Yeon-soo's side says the sentence is not enough. "I didn't hear a word of apology from the court, but the sentence is less than the original sentence. My son has to live with a disability for the rest of his life, and A can only be released from prison four years later. I don't know where to appeal this injustice," his mother told reporters.
Lawyer Oh Gun-sung also expressed his intention to decide whether to appeal after reviewing the ruling. Lawyer Oh said, "Former player Yoo couldn't come here today because he was unwell, but he wanted to thank the fans for their support and support during the trial."
Meanwhile, Yoo Yeon-soo received 10 million won in donations from the Korea Football Association's Soccer Love Sharing Foundation (KFA Soccer Love Sharing Foundation) and the Korea Professional Footballers Association (player association) on the 24th. A total of 20 million won was made, including 10 million won in donations from the KFA Soccer Love Sharing Foundation, along with Yoo Young-soo, who collapsed due to acute heart attack caused by arrhythmia during a game in 2011.
Kim Ho-gon (73), chairman of the KFA Soccer Love Sharing Foundation, said, "I hope it will be an opportunity to empower the two players who unfortunately ended their careers due to an accident." Yoo Yeon-soo donated 1 million won in prize money to the KFA Soccer Love Sharing Foundation after appearing on tvN's entertainment program You Quiz on the Block, which aired on January 17.