Photo not related to article. [Getty Images Bank]
Photo not related to article. [Getty Images Bank]

A hotel worker in his 40s who used a master key to enter a guest's room and steal a gold ring while the guest was out has been fined again after losing his appeal.

Daejeon District Court's Criminal Appeals Division 2-3, presided over by Judge Kim Dong-kwan, dismissed the appeal filed by the defendant, identified only as A, 43, and upheld the 2 million won ($1,340) fine handed down at trial. A had been indicted on charges of theft and unlawful entry.

A was working as an employee at a motel in Dong-gu, Daejeon, in June 2024 when he allegedly entered the room of a guest identified as B and stole a gold ring worth around 400,000 won.

A entered the room using a master key while B was out. During the first trial, A said he had entered only to check whether the guest had checked out and denied stealing the ring.

The trial court found that A had known the guest was away when he entered the room, establishing intent for unlawful entry, and that the theft charge was also supported by the victim's account and the condition of the room. It sentenced A to a fine of 2 million won.

A appealed, again arguing he had no intent to unlawfully enter the room and had not stolen anything.

The appeals court rejected the argument, saying A had raised the same claims at trial and that the evidence properly admitted and examined by the lower court made those claims untenable.


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