(Herald DB)
(Herald DB)

A South Korean court has handed a suspended prison sentence to a man in his 50s who posed as a doctor to defraud a victim of tens of millions of won.

The Seoul Northern District Court on Tuesday sentenced the man to eight months in prison, suspended for two years, after finding him guilty of fraud.

The court said the defendant borrowed a total of 35 million won ($24,200) with no intention of repaying the money. He met the victim in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, in November 2020 and falsely claimed to be a plastic surgeon working there.

From December 2020 to September 2021, the defendant repeatedly asked the victim for loans on six occasions, claiming the funds were needed to purchase medical supplies.

To bolster the deception, the man posted photographs of himself wearing a surgical gown on social media, the court said.

In its ruling, the court found that the defendant had clear intent to deceive the victim.

However, the court cited mitigating factors in imposing a suspended sentence, noting that he had reached a settlement with the victim, had no prior criminal record and had expressed remorse for his actions.


minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com