Overview
- The Uiseong branch of the Daegu District Court sentenced Shin to two years suspended for three and Jeong to two and a half years suspended for three, with some reports listing Jeong’s term as two years.
- Both defendants were ordered to complete 120 hours of community service.
- Prosecutors said Shin ignited a blaze while tending a family grave in Anpyeong-myeon and Jeong started another while burning orchard byproducts in Angye-myeon on March 22, 2025.
- Judges said evidence did not prove beyond reasonable doubt that the defendants’ actions directly caused the deaths or injuries given the exceptionally dry, windy conditions.
- The fires burned for about 149 hours and were the nation’s largest on record, with Yonhap reporting 26 dead, 31 injured and roughly 3,500 displaced, while other outlets reported 28 deaths and over 36,000 evacuees.