South Korean Man Jailed Two Years for Crypto-Paid Revenge Attack Involving Excrement and Defamation

A South Korean court has sentenced a 20-year-old man to two years in prison for spraying rotten food waste and human excrement on a victim’s house in exchange for just $541 worth of cryptocurrency. The man also scattered defamatory leaflets falsely alleging the victim was a recently released sex offender, according to Joongang Ilbo.

Prosecutors told the court that the defendant acted on behalf of a so-called "revenge agency" operating via Telegram. The man broke into an apartment complex in Dongtan New Town, Gyeonggi Province, on February 22, vandalized the victim’s 15th-floor apartment door with red spray paint, and left leaflets containing obscene content and false criminal allegations for neighbors to see.

Telegram-Based 'Revenge Agencies' Under Scrutiny

Police have arrested multiple individuals linked to Telegram-based revenge agencies that offer services such as murder, maiming, or public shaming to anonymous clients paying in USDT cryptocurrency. Despite these crackdowns, these criminal networks continue to operate, commissioning increasingly extreme acts of vengeance.

Defamatory Leaflets Targeting Alleged Sex Offender

Prosecutors revealed that the leaflets were designed to mimic official notifications required by South Korean law. Under these laws, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family must send paper notifications to residents when a convicted sex offender moves into a new area. These notifications typically include the offender’s full name, photograph, address, and details of their crimes.

The victim’s identity remains undisclosed, and police have not yet identified who paid the "Grudge Resolution Office"—a Telegram group the defendant claimed commissioned the attack in exchange for cryptocurrency.

Defendant’s Criminal Record and Court Proceedings

The man was tried at Suwon District Court, which withheld his name for legal reasons, as reported by YTN. Court documents indicate he was a previously convicted youth offender who had received a suspended sentence for another offense.

The defendant told the court he had acted on behalf of a Telegram-based group calling itself the 'Grudge Resolution Office,' which paid him in crypto upon completion of the task.