Korean gets 14 years' in jail for an armed robbery in Vietnam

This story warms my heart. An entitled ajeossi is heading to prison for 14 years for a knifepoint robbery. He would have barely got a year back in Korea, but now he has to do some real time. 

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/world/2019/07/683_272717.html

A South Korean man, identified as Park Young-jun, was sentenced to 14 years' jail for armed robbery of a taxi driver in Vietnam, local media reported on Tuesday.

The crime took place on Nov. 23 in a taxi traveling to Da Nang from Thua Thien-Hue Province.

Park, 50, who had lost his money gambling, threatened the driver with a knife and stole two mobile phones and a wallet containing VND1.4 million ($60). The driver managed to escape and screamed for help. Park ran away, but was caught.

I wonder how they explain and justify the sentence term to the crime?
14 years for a petty?  Even if you think he deserves it, how do you get 14 years for that?

I wonder how they explain and justify the sentence term to the crime?
14 years for a petty?  Even if you think he deserves it, how do you get 14 years for that?

Armed robbery is a big deal in most countries.

That's very excessive.  It may be because the public doesn't like Koreans since Koreans overseas have a way of pissing people off.

Armed robbery with a deadly weapon like a knife or a gun usually gets you some serious felony time. 10 years+ minimum, though with the whole process, the actual time served might be lower.  I don't know if Vietnam has good behavior and such, but in the U.S. someone sentenced for 14 could be out in half of that. Korea's standard penalty is a minimum of 5 years for armed robbery, not barely a year as someone claimed. That is, unless Korea uses plea bargaining, which can happen in any country in such a system. If some desperate bum threatens someone with a pen knife for 20 bucks, they might reduce the sentence to something in the 1-2 years range. The goal is to get people processed.
https://www.refworld.org/pdfid/3f49e3ed4.pdf

I don't know how big of a deal this whole thing really is. Sounds like the guy was just some gambling-addict derelict of from Korea. "Entitled Ajosshi" and "Public doesn't like Koreans" I think might be reading more into the situation than there is.

I wonder how they explain and justify the sentence term to the crime?
14 years for a petty?  Even if you think he deserves it, how do you get 14 years for that?

Armed robbery is a big deal in most countries.

Yes, but 14 years? That's usually what you get for actually assaulting someone say 'attempted murder' with say a semi-automatic or some kind of firing weapon.
This was a drunk guy "threatening" a taxi driver at knifepoint (and I bet the knife was probably a dull plastic butter knife he stole from the casino).  The taxi driver runs out of his car yelling for help.  BAM! 14 years. 

It's kind of like when slippin jimmy did a chicago sunroof in a parked car, and didn't realize there was a kid buckled up in the backseat.  He instantly became a child sex offender. 

Communist countries aren't known for the leniency. Add to that it's in SE Asia, which regularly hands out death sentences.

You would have to be an absolute moron to get yourself into any sort of criminal situation in a country like Vietnam.

A lot of asian countries have very tough sentences for even minor crimes. You ever read about the elderly in Japan? You have little old ladies shoplifting 1000 yen items (maybe 10-15k won in worth), and getting sentenced to 2 years in prison for it (it's kind of a social commentary, but a lot of elderly are doing it on purpose because they find prison a relaxing escape from issues they might be having with their families or in their society in general).

SE asian countries such as the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam are fairly well-known for their tough sentencing. And armed robbery is not considered a minor crime in most countries.

With that being said, though, there is some truth to Koreans being seen unfavorably in those countries. It's a popular tourist and sexpat destination for Koreans in general, and it attracts a lot of the worst types from this country, unfortunately. There is a shit-ton of criminal activity there that a lot of Koreans are involved in, and not just from the mafia.

I don't think that had anything to do with this guy's sentencing, though. He sounds like a three-time loser with no connections or options.

A lot of Asian countries have tough sentencing, but Korea isn't one of them.
In Korea, being "drunk" is a get out of jail free card.

For a lot of Korean men, other SE Asian countries are their playgrounds. They are well known to be on their worst behavior there. People who are of a "lesser class" are really talked down to by Koreans.

This guy was probably drunk, and raging mad because he lost money. He wouldn't pull a knife on some rich Chinese guy there, but he'd do it to a Vietnamese cab driver,  as many Koreans look down on them. They are not as "good" as he is.

14 years is a harsh sentence, and the judge may be making an example out of him.
Let's hope other Koreans take notice.

A lot of Asian countries have tough sentencing, but Korea isn't one of them.
In Korea, being "drunk" is a get out of jail free card.

Not for armed robbery. Now of course there might be plea bargaining, but that happens everywhere.

For a lot of Korean men, other SE Asian countries are their playgrounds. They are well known to be on their worst behavior there. People who are of a "lesser class" are really talked down to by Koreans.

That's not only Korean men who act that way.

This guy was probably drunk, and raging mad because he lost money. He wouldn't pull a knife on some rich Chinese guy there, but he'd do it to a Vietnamese cab driver,  as many Koreans look down on them. They are not as "good" as he is.

Dude, I think you're reading wayyyyy too much into this. This is typical of "gambler just lost his money" stories around the world, usually someone does something really impulsive and stupid at a random target of opportunity.

A few months ago there was a story on here about some NET who tried to rob a lotto store in Korea. Would you say the same stuff about him as you are the Korean guy in Vietnam?

I think in both cases what you had was a series of bad life choices, poor impulse control, desperation, and addiction that led to an eventual breakdown in the individual. I think to project anything more onto them is a bit of a stretch.

Let's hope other Koreans take notice.

I think most other Koreans don't envision themselves robbing Vietnamese taxi drivers at knife point, nor would they endorse such behavior. They're probably fine with him getting the book thrown at him.

Dude should consider himself lucky. If he'd been next door in Laos or south in Cambodia he could have easily spent 14 years in prison before seeing his lawyer for the first time, which coincides with seeing the judge and being tried and sentenced.  Then, getting 14 years!