Actress Nana (real name Lim Jin-ah) and her mother appeared as witnesses in a robbery and assault trial, testifying that "the defendant indeed broke in carrying a weapon." The defendant, however, has consistently denied possessing a weapon, setting the stage for a courtroom battle.
At the third hearing held Friday before the Criminal Division 1 (presided over by Chief Judge Kim Kuk-sik) of the Namyangju Branch of the Uijeongbu District Court, Nana and her mother took the stand as victims. The defendant, identified only as Kim, 34, who is being held in custody, also appeared in court.
During witness questioning, Nana stated, "I heard a frantic noise and came out to the living room, where I saw the defendant strangling my fallen mother, with a weapon lying nearby." She continued, "I picked up the weapon with my right hand and swung it wildly. The defendant, wearing gloves, grabbed the blade with both hands and held on, so I struck his face several times with my left fist."
In the process, the defendant suffered bleeding on his neck, while Nana sustained a laceration on her right hand and bruising on her left hand.
Nana's mother, questioned separately in a non-face-to-face setting, also testified in line with her daughter, saying, "The defendant was holding a weapon when he broke in through the veranda."
In response, the defense counsel asked, "Is it true that you said, 'I will cover the 40 million won for the defendant's mother's surgery, so please tell the police he came with a weapon and I will ask for leniency'?" Both Nana and her mother refuted this, saying, "That is not true."
At the first hearing, the defendant had denied the robbery and assault charges, claiming, "I only tried to steal money because I needed funds for my mother's surgery. I did not have a weapon," and admitted only to attempted theft. A fingerprint analysis report that could determine whether he possessed a weapon has not yet been submitted to the court.
Upon entering the courtroom that day, Nana showed an agitated reaction toward the defendant, saying, "Is this fun? Look me straight in the eye." During her testimony, she referred to the defendant as a "bald-faced robber" and was restrained by the bench. After taking the oath, she also asked, "What is the penalty for perjury?"
When the court gave her a final opportunity to speak, Nana pleaded, "This incident has left me with trauma. My home is no longer a safe place — I now go out carrying pepper spray whenever a delivery arrives." She added, "I don't understand why the defendant is prolonging the trial, subjecting us to primary, secondary, and tertiary harm and humiliation. I wish he would stop here, show remorse, and seek to reduce his sentence."
Kim was indicted and detained on charges of breaking into Nana's home in Guri, Gyeonggi Province, around 6 p.m. on November 15 last year, threatening Nana and her mother by strangling them and demanding valuables. In the process, he inflicted injuries requiring 21 to 33 days of treatment on the two women, but the crime ended in an attempt as he was subdued.
Taking into account that evidentiary consent for the medical certificates has not been reached, the court adopted two doctors as witnesses and will proceed with defendant questioning. After two more hearings, the verdict is scheduled to be delivered on June 4.
