60-Year-Old Sentenced to 2.5 Years for Kidnapping Plot Against Celebrities

A 60-year-old man has been sentenced to 2 years and 6 months in prison for planning to kidnap celebrities and wealthy individuals in South Korea. The Seoul Central District Court revealed that the defendant, identified as A, had devised a scheme to extort billions of won by gathering personal information, including home addresses and vehicle numbers, of his targets, which included entertainers and business tycoons.

In November of last year, A began his plot by searching online for suppliers of inhalation anesthetics and other tools to facilitate the kidnapping. He also sought out a potential accomplice, B, through a sex offender notification website, proposing a partnership to execute the plan. A claimed to know the locations of the targets and suggested they could steal between 1 billion to 2 billion won.

After several days without a response from B, A decided to proceed alone. He gathered weapons, including a knife, gas gun, and handcuffs, and traveled to a hotel in Seoul, where he purchased additional items like a stun gun and pepper spray. He spent about a week scouting affluent neighborhoods in Gangnam and Yongsan for potential kidnapping sites.

However, B reported A to the police, fearing repercussions from their conversation. During the trial, A argued that he had no real intention to commit the crime and that he was merely making exaggerated claims. The court, however, noted A's meticulous planning, his search for accomplices, and his criminal history, which included multiple robbery convictions.

The court emphasized that A had a clear intent to commit the crime and that a severe sentence was warranted. While they acknowledged that he did not ultimately carry out the kidnapping, they also deemed him a high risk for reoffending, ordering a 5-year electronic monitoring period following his release.