A man accused of breaking into comedian Park Na-rae’s home and stealing valuables worth tens of millions of won pleaded for leniency during his appeal trial.

The Seoul Western District Court held the first appellate hearing on Thursday for the defendant, who is charged with theft and nighttime trespassing.


The defendant’s attorney told the court that the man “deeply regrets committing the crime to cover living expenses and is sincerely remorseful,” adding that although he attempted to reach a settlement with Park, she refused, preventing meaningful restitution. The lawyer asked the court to take these circumstances into consideration and show leniency.

In his final statement, the defendant said, “I sincerely apologize to the victims and ask for forgiveness.” He added that Park, through her attorney, had rejected both a court deposit and settlement offers, but said he would “make every possible effort” to ensure the stolen items are returned.

“I have done what I can to compensate those who were punished in the process of purchasing stolen goods connected to me, as well as others who suffered damages,” he said. “I ask the court to allow me to return to society sooner so I can earn money through honest work and properly compensate the victims.”

The defendant is accused of breaking into Park’s home in Yongsan District, central Seoul, in April last year and fleeing with valuables worth tens of millions of won. During police questioning, he claimed he did not know the home belonged to Park. Investigators also found that he had committed a separate theft at another home in the same district a month earlier.

In September 2025, the lower court sentenced the defendant to two years in prison and took him into custody. While noting that the defendant admitted to the charges and returned the stolen items, the court cited his prior convictions for similar crimes, the large value of the stolen property and the victim’s request for a severe punishment as reasons for the sentence.

The defendant had appealed the ruling. The appellate court is scheduled to deliver its verdict at 10:20 a.m. on Feb. 12.


This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM JI-HYE [shin.minhee@joongang.co.kr]