25-year-old man dies from ”workplace bullying”...Supervisor appeals for leniency (South Korea)

The perpetrator of workplace bullying that drove a 25-year-old man to death has appealed for leniency in the appeals court. According to the Korean legal community on the 15th, during a hearing at the Gangneung branch of the Chuncheon District Court,
At the closing hearing of the appeal trial in which the perpetrator, Defendant A (41), was accused of intimidation, assault, and violating the Information and Communications Network Act, Defendant A stated, "I acknowledge my mistakes and am sincerely remorseful."
Defendant A's lawyer said, "During the investigation and first trial, we did not dispute the cause of the victim's death and admitted everything, but after investigating the facts, we found that the victim had been raped at home several times between 2021 and 2022.
It was confirmed that a missing person report had been filed due to discord," he said, adding, "There appears to have been another factor in the victim's death."
He also said, "My acquaintances got together and raised as much money as they could to pay for the crime.
"I am planning to atone for my sins by committing a crime such as abetting a criminal trial. I hope that a lenient punishment will be given," he added. However, the prosecution said, "Given the circumstances, the defendant habitually assaulted the victim and bullied her in the workplace.
The victim appears to have died as a result of this, and his actions are bad, including blaming the victim for the cause of her death," the court said, requesting that the appeal by Defendant A be dismissed.
Between March and May of last year, defendant A made 86 phone calls to the victim, the late Jung Young Ji-in, and used abusive language that caused fear and anxiety.
She was on trial for threatening and assaulting her four times, including hitting her in the head with a fist, for 16 days. Unable to bear the bullying from Defendant A, Chung took her own life on May 23 last year.
The auto parts company in Sokcho where Jeong went to work was a small company with less than five employees. It was Jeong's first job and he met a friend there for about 20 years.
Defendant A, who had a history of sexual assault, was the victim's first boss. The first trial court ruled that "As the victim's boss at work, the defendant repeatedly assaulted, verbally abused and threatened her. The victim suffered almost every day and ended her life at a young age.
The court said the case showed an extreme example of workplace bullying and power harassment, and sentenced him to two years and six months in prison. The sentencing hearing for the appeal is scheduled to be held on the 5th of next month.