Workbear재주넘는곰
대법원 2021도7087

Violation of the Act on the Punishment of Violence, etc. (Joint Building Trespass) · Theft · Obstruction of the Performance of Official Duties폭력행위등처벌에관한법률위반(공동주거침입)·절도·공무집행방해

Decided2022. 06. 16. Court대법원Case reversed and remanded (파기환송) — ruling in favor of the defendants (union members) on the trespass charge
AI-generated English translation (summary, key points, decision summary and full text) for reference only — not an official translation and without legal effect. The Korean original below is authoritative.
AI Easy read — AI summary of this decision
AI-generated summary for reference only — the Korean original below is authoritative.

This case addressed whether union members holding an assembly in the lobby of a city hall constituted criminal trespass on a building (건조물침입죄). The Supreme Court of Korea (대법원) ruled that entering a space open to the general public through ordinary means does not constitute trespass, even if it goes against the wishes of the building manager. The Court found that the lower court erred in finding trespass based solely on the manager's opposition, and remanded the case for further proceedings.

Key takeaways
  • CaseUnion members held an assembly in the open lobby of a city hall, entering through the same doors and means as the general public.
  • OutcomeThe Supreme Court held that entering a publicly accessible space by ordinary means does not amount to trespass, even against the manager's wishes, and sent the case back for retrial.
  • LessonFor foreign workers and union members: peacefully entering spaces that are generally open to the public (like government building lobbies) through normal channels is unlikely to be treated as criminal trespass, even if building management objects.
Issues
  • Whether holding an assembly in a city hall lobby constitutes criminal trespass on a building (건조물침입죄)
  • Whether entry against the manager's wishes alone satisfies the elements of trespass
  • What standard should be used to determine whether the de facto peaceful state of a premises has been disturbed
Key reasoning

The crime of trespass (침입죄) protects the interest of maintaining a de facto peaceful state of a space, not merely the subjective will of the person managing or residing in it. Therefore, simply acting against the manager's wishes is not sufficient to establish trespass; courts must instead assess whether the peaceful state of the premises was disturbed based on the objective, outward manner of the entry. Since the city hall lobby was open to the general public and the union members entered without being stopped, using an ordinary method of access, their conduct could not be considered trespass under this standard.

Full text (English, AI translation) 10,771 chars

[Defendant] Defendant 1 and 3 others
[Appellant] Defendants
[Defense Counsel] Attorney Kwon Doo-seop and 2 others of Law Firm Yeoneun
[Judgment Below] Daegu District Court Decision 2020No677 dated May 13, 2021

[Order]

The guilty portions of the judgment below concerning Defendant 2 and Defendant 3 are reversed, and this portion of the case is remanded to the Daegu District Court. The appeals by Defendant 1 and Defendant 4 are all dismissed.

[Reasoning] The grounds of appeal are examined.
1. The portion concerning the violation of the Act on the Punishment of Violences, etc. (공동주거침입, joint trespass on a dwelling) by Defendant 2 and Defendant 3 on October 30, 2018
A. The crime of trespass on a dwelling protects the actual peace of the dwelling as its legal interest. Since "intrusion," which constitutes the constituent element of the crime of trespass, must be interpreted in relation to the legal interest protected by the crime of trespass, intrusion means entering a dwelling in a manner that disturbs the actual state of peace of the dwelling, and whether an act constitutes intrusion should in principle be determined based on the objective and external appearance of the conduct at the time of entry. While entering a dwelling in a manner that disturbs the actual state of peace will generally be against the will of the occupant, the mere subjective circumstance that the act of entering the dwelling itself is against the occupant's will cannot by itself be considered intrusion (see Supreme Court en banc Decision 2020Do12630 delivered on September 9, 2021). Therefore, whether an act constitutes intrusion should be determined not by whether it is against the occupant's will, but by whether it is conduct that disturbs the actual state of peace.
Where an actor entered a dwelling with the occupant's consent, but the entry was for the purpose of committing a crime, etc., or where it is recognized that the occupant would not have consented to the entry had he or she known the actor's actual purpose of entry, in order for the actor's act of entry to constitute intrusion as defined in the crime of trespass, it must be evaluated, in light of the objective and external appearance of the conduct at the time of entry, that the actual state of peace of the dwelling was infringed, taking into comprehensive consideration the form, use and nature of the dwelling, etc. sought to be entered, the manner and state of control and management of entry by outsiders, and the circumstances and method of the actor's entry (see Supreme Court en banc Decision 2017Do18272 delivered on March 24, 2022).
B. The facts charged in this portion are that Defendant 2, Defendant 3, and co-defendant in the court below Hwang Mi-ran, acting jointly, arrived at the Gimcheon City Hall at around 15:30 on October 30, 2018, and, together with approximately 150 union members, entered the building, sat on the floor of the first-floor lobby shouting slogans and causing a disturbance, thereby trespassing on the building against the will of the manager of the Gimcheon City Hall building.
C. The court below maintained the first instance court's determination finding this portion of the facts charged guilty on the ground that the above defendants entered the Gimcheon City Hall against the will of the manager, thereby disturbing the actual peace of the building.
D. However, according to the reasoning of the judgment below and the record, the following facts are recognized.
1) The first-floor lobby of the Gimcheon City Hall, which Defendant 2, Defendant 3, and others entered, is a place generally open without restrictions on entry qualifications, etc. during business hours.
2) In front of the Gimcheon City Hall, union members of the labor union had been continuously holding assemblies and demonstrations since around August 2018, daily during the commuting hours of the Mayor of Gimcheon, and even before this portion of the facts charged occurred, some participants in the said assemblies and demonstrations had entered and exited the first-floor lobby of the Gimcheon City Hall without any restraint, and had even conducted one-person demonstrations in the first-floor lobby.
3) On September 12, 2018, prior to this portion of the facts charged, there was an instance where Gimcheon City officials blocked the entry of assembly and demonstration participants into the first-floor lobby of the Gimcheon City Hall; however, this appears to have been either to protect the Mayor in a situation where the participants were following the Mayor, who was commuting, into the city hall, or to have been done out of concern about entry into the Mayor's office on the second floor.
4) On the day of this portion of the facts charged, from around 14:00, an event titled "Departure Ceremony and Press Conference for the Walking Tour Struggle" hosted by the Gyeongbuk Regional Headquarters of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions was held in front of the Gimcheon City Hall, and among the union members participating in the event, 5 people entered the Mayor's office on the second floor of the Gimcheon City Hall at around 15:10 requesting a meeting with the Mayor; upon hearing news of this and rumors that these people were being forcibly dragged out, the union members participating in the said event entered the Gimcheon City Hall together with Defendant 2, Defendant 3, and others.
5) At the time, union members including Defendant 2 and Defendant 3 entered the first-floor lobby through the main entrance on the first floor of the Gimcheon City Hall twice, at an interval of about 30 minutes, without receiving any restraint from Gimcheon City officials, etc. There is no evidence that the union members pushed their way through the entrance or otherwise entered by using the power or force of numbers.
6) At the time of the facts charged, since the 5 union members were already in the Mayor's office on the second floor as described above, a large number of Gimcheon City officials were already standing blocking only the staircase leading from the first-floor lobby to the Mayor's office on the second floor.
7) Even looking at the situation after entering the first-floor lobby, the CCTV footage does not show the union members shouting slogans or causing a disturbance, and only shows them clapping together approximately twice, right before dispersing.
8) Even after the union members gathered in the first-floor lobby dispersed and left the Gimcheon City Hall at around 19:00, the main entrance door on the first floor remained open for some time, and people continued to enter and exit. It was only from the day after the incident constituting this portion of the facts charged that Gimcheon City officials began locking the main entrance door of the Gimcheon City Hall and blocking union members from entering the first-floor lobby.
E. Examining the above factual relationship in light of the legal principles set forth above, insofar as the defendants entered the city hall lobby, which is generally open to entry, in an ordinary manner without any restriction on or obstruction of entry by the manager, it cannot be said that they entered the first-floor lobby of the Gimcheon City Hall in a manner that disturbed the actual state of peace, and therefore this does not constitute intrusion as defined in the crime of trespass on a building. No explicit intent of the manager of the Gimcheon City Hall to prohibit entry has been confirmed, and even if the act of Defendant 2, Defendant 3, and others entering the Gimcheon City Hall as described in this portion of the facts charged was contrary to the presumed intent of the manager of the Gimcheon City Hall, such circumstance alone cannot be evaluated as entering the city hall lobby in a manner that disturbs the actual state of peace. Therefore, the crime of trespass on a building is not established with respect to Defendant 2 and Defendant 3.
F. Nevertheless, the judgment below, which recognized the establishment of the crime of trespass on a building based mainly on the manager's intent, erred by misapprehending the legal principles concerning the establishment of this crime, thereby affecting the judgment. The argument in the grounds of appeal pointing this out is well-founded.
2. The portion concerning obstruction of performance of official duties by Defendant 4
The court below maintained the first instance judgment finding this portion of the facts charged guilty for the reasons stated therein. Examining the reasoning of the judgment below in light of the relevant legal principles and the evidence lawfully adopted, there is no error in the judgment below such as misapprehending the legal principles concerning the legality of the performance of official duties and assault in the crime of obstruction of performance of official duties, or violating the rules of logic and experience so as to exceed the limits of free evaluation of evidence.
3. The portion concerning larceny by Defendant 1 and Defendant 3
The court below maintained the first instance judgment finding this portion of the facts charged guilty for the reasons stated therein. Examining the reasoning of the judgment below in light of the relevant legal principles and the evidence lawfully adopted, there is no error in the judgment below such as misapprehending the legal principles concerning the intent to steal, the specification of the amount of damage, and acts not contrary to social norms under Article 20 of the Criminal Code (형법) in the crime of larceny, or violating the rules of logic and experience so as to exceed the limits of free evaluation of evidence.
4. Scope of reversal (Defendant 3)
The portion of the judgment below concerning the violation of the Act on the Punishment of Violences, etc. (joint trespass on a dwelling) committed by Defendant 3 on October 30, 2018 must be reversed for the reasons set forth above. Furthermore, the guilty portion (the larceny portion), which is in a concurrent crime relationship under the first sentence of Article 37 of the Criminal Code with the reversed portion and for which a single sentence was imposed, must also be reversed together. Ultimately, the entire guilty portion of the judgment below concerning Defendant 3 must be reversed.
5. Conclusion
The guilty portions of the judgment below concerning Defendant 2 and Defendant 3 are reversed, and this portion of the case is remanded to the court below for retrial and determination, and the appeals by Defendant 1 and Defendant 4 are all dismissed. It is so decided by the unanimous opinion of the Justices participating in the decision, as set forth in the Order.

Justice Cheon Dae-yeop (Presiding Justice), Cho Jae-yeon, Min Yu-sook (Justice in Charge), Lee Dong-won

【참조조문】

[1] 형법 제319조 제1항

[2] 형법 제319조 제1항, 형사소송법 제325조

【참조판례】

[1] 대법원 2021. 9. 9. 선고 2020도12630 전원합의체 판결(공2021하, 1970), 대법원 2022. 3. 24. 선고 2017도18272 전원합의체 판결(공2022상, 819)

【주문】·【이유】 전문 3,859자 · 펼쳐 보기

【피 고 인】 피고인 1 외 3인

【상 고 인】 피고인들

【변 호 인】 법무법인 여는 담당변호사 권두섭 외 2인

【원심판결】 대구지법 2021. 5. 13. 선고 2020노677 판결

【주 문】

원심판결 중 피고인 2, 피고인 3에 대한 유죄 부분을 파기하고, 이 부분 사건을 대구지방법원에 환송한다. 피고인 1, 피고인 4의 상고를 모두 기각한다.

【이 유】 상고이유를 판단한다.

1. 피고인 2, 피고인 3의 2018. 10. 30. 자 폭력행위 등 처벌에 관한 법률 위반(공동주거침입) 부분

가. 주거침입죄는 사실상 주거의 평온을 보호법익으로 한다. 주거침입죄의 구성요건적 행위인 침입은 주거침입죄의 보호법익과의 관계에서 해석하여야 하므로, 침입이란 주거의 사실상 평온상태를 해치는 행위 태양으로 주거에 들어가는 것을 의미하고, 침입에 해당하는지는 출입 당시 객관적·외형적으로 드러난 행위 태양을 기준으로 판단함이 원칙이다. 사실상의 평온상태를 해치는 행위 태양으로 주거에 들어가는 것이라면 대체로 거주자의 의사에 반하겠지만, 단순히 주거에 들어가는 행위 자체가 거주자의 의사에 반한다는 주관적 사정만으로는 바로 침입에 해당한다고 볼 수 없다(대법원 2021. 9. 9. 선고 2020도12630 전원합의체 판결 참조). 따라서 침입행위에 해당하는지는 거주자의 의사에 반하는지가 아니라 사실상의 평온상태를 해치는 행위 태양인지에 따라 판단되어야 한다.

행위자가 거주자의 승낙을 받아 주거에 들어갔으나 범죄 등을 목적으로 한 출입이거나 거주자가 행위자의 실제 출입 목적을 알았더라면 출입을 승낙하지 않았을 것이라는 사정이 인정되는 경우 행위자의 출입행위가 주거침입죄에서 규정하는 침입행위에 해당하려면, 출입하려는 주거 등의 형태와 용도·성질, 외부인에 대한 출입의 통제·관리 방식과 상태, 행위자의 출입 경위와 방법 등을 종합적으로 고려하여 행위자의 출입 당시 객관적·외형적으로 드러난 행위 태양에 비추어 주거의 사실상 평온상태가 침해되었다고 평가되어야 한다(대법원 2022. 3. 24. 선고 2017도18272 전원합의체 판결 참조).

나. 이 부분 공소사실은, 피고인 2, 피고인 3, 원심 공동피고인 황미란이 공동하여 2018. 10. 30. 15:30경 김천시청에 이르러 150여 명의 조합원들과 함께 위 건물 안으로 들어가 1층 로비 바닥에 앉아 구호를 외치며 소란을 피움으로써 김천시청 건물 관리자의 의사에 반하여 건조물에 침입하였다는 것이다.

다. 원심은, 위 피고인들이 관리자의 의사에 반하여 김천시청에 들어감으로써 건조물의 사실상의 평온을 해하였다는 이유로 이 부분 공소사실을 유죄로 인정한 제1심 판단을 그대로 유지하였다.

라. 그러나 원심판결 이유와 기록에 의하면 다음 사실이 인정된다.

1) 피고인 2, 피고인 3 등이 들어간 김천시청 1층 로비는 업무시간 중에는 출입자격 등의 제한 없이 일반적으로 개방되어 있는 장소이다.

2) 김천시청 앞에서는 노동조합 조합원들이 2018. 8.경부터 연일 김천시장의 출퇴근 시간대에 집회·시위를 계속하고 있었고, 이 부분 공소사실이 있기 전에도 위 집회·시위 참가자들 일부가 김천시청 1층 로비에 아무런 제지 없이 출입하며 1층 로비에서 1인 시위도 하였다.

3) 이 부분 공소사실 전인 2018. 9. 12. 김천시 공무원들이 집회·시위 참가자들의 김천시청 1층 로비 진입을 제지한 적이 있지만, 이는 위 참가자들이 출근하는 시장을 따라 시청 안으로 들어가는 상황에서 시장을 보호하기 위함이거나, 2층 시장 집무실 진입을 우려하여 제지한 것으로 보일 뿐이다.

4) 이 부분 공소사실 당일 14시경부터 김천시청 앞에서 민주노총 경북지역본부 주최 ‘도보순회투쟁 출정식 및 기자회견’ 행사가 있었는데, 그 행사 참가 조합원들 중 5명이 15:10경 시장 면담을 요청하며 김천시청 2층에 있는 시장 집무실에 들어갔고, 이러한 소식과 이들이 강제로 끌려나온다는 소문을 들은 위 행사 참가 조합원들이 피고인 2, 피고인 3 등과 함께 김천시청에 들어간 것이다.

5) 당시 피고인 2, 피고인 3 등 조합원들은 약 30분 간격을 두고 2회에 걸쳐 김천시청 1층 중앙현관을 통해 1층 로비에 들어가면서 김천시 공무원 등으로부터 아무런 제지를 받지 않았다. 조합원들이 현관을 밀고 들어갔다거나 기타 다수의 힘 또는 위세를 이용하여 들어간 정황은 인정되지 않는다.

6) 공소사실 당시 위와 같이 5명의 조합원들이 2층 시장 집무실에 있었기 때문에 이미 김천시 공무원들 다수가 1층 로비에서 2층 시장 집무실로 올라가는 계단만 막고 서있는 상태였다.

7) 1층 로비에 들어온 이후의 상황을 보더라도, CCTV 영상으로는 조합원들이 구호를 외치거나 소란을 피우는 모습을 찾아볼 수 없고, 해산 직전 2회 가량 함께 박수 치는 모습만 확인된다.

8) 1층 로비에 모여있던 조합원들이 19시경 해산하여 김천시청 밖으로 나간 뒤에도 한동안 1층 중앙현관문은 개방되어 사람들이 출입하였다. 김천시 공무원들이 김천시청 중앙현관문을 잠그고 조합원들의 1층 로비 출입을 막기 시작한 것은 이 부분 공소사실과 같은 일이 있은 다음 날부터이다.

마. 위와 같은 사실관계를 앞서 본 법리에 비추어 살펴보면, 일반적으로 출입이 허용되어 개방된 시청사 로비에 관리자의 출입 제한이나 제지가 없는 상태에서 통상적인 방법으로 들어간 이상 사실상의 평온상태를 해치는 행위 태양으로 김천시청 1층 로비에 들어갔다고 볼 수 없으므로 건조물침입죄에서 규정하는 침입행위에 해당하지 않는다. 김천시청 관리자의 명시적 출입 금지 의사는 확인되지 않고, 설령 피고인 2, 피고인 3 등이 이 부분 공소사실과 같이 김천시청에 들어간 행위가 김천시청 관리자의 추정적 의사에 반하였더라도, 그러한 사정만으로는 사실상의 평온상태를 해치는 행위 태양으로 시청 로비에 출입하였다고 평가할 수 없다. 따라서 피고인 2, 피고인 3에 대하여는 건조물침입죄가 성립하지 않는다.

바. 그럼에도 관리자의 의사를 주된 근거로 건조물침입죄의 성립을 인정한 원심판단에는 본죄의 성립에 관한 법리를 오해하여 판결에 영향을 미친 잘못이 있다. 이를 지적하는 취지의 상고이유 주장은 이유 있다.

2. 피고인 4의 공무집행방해 부분

원심은 판시와 같은 이유로 이 부분 공소사실을 유죄로 판단한 제1심판결을 그대로 유지하였다. 원심판결 이유를 관련 법리와 적법하게 채택한 증거에 비추어 살펴보면, 원심의 판단에 공무집행방해죄에서 공무집행의 적법성과 폭행에 관한 법리를 오해하거나 논리와 경험의 법칙을 위반하여 자유심증주의의 한계를 벗어나는 등의 잘못이 없다.

3. 피고인 1, 피고인 3의 절도 부분

원심은 판시와 같은 이유로 이 부분 공소사실을 유죄로 판단한 제1심판결을 그대로 유지하였다. 원심판결 이유를 관련 법리와 적법하게 채택한 증거에 비추어 살펴보면, 원심의 판단에 절도죄에서 절취의 고의, 피해액 특정, 형법 제20조 사회상규에 반하지 않는 행위에 관한 법리를 오해하거나 논리와 경험의 법칙을 위반하여 자유심증주의의 한계를 벗어나는 등의 잘못이 없다.

4. 파기의 범위(피고인 3)

원심판결 중 피고인 3에 대한 2018. 10. 30. 자 폭력행위 등 처벌에 관한 법률 위반(공동주거침입) 부분은 앞서 본 것과 같은 이유로 파기되어야 한다. 그리고 위 파기 부분과 형법 제37조 전단의 경합범 관계에 있어 하나의 형이 선고된 유죄 부분(절도 부분)도 함께 파기되어야 한다. 결국 원심판결 중 피고인 3에 대한 유죄 부분은 전부 파기되어야 한다.

5. 결론

원심판결 중 피고인 2, 피고인 3에 대한 유죄 부분을 파기하고, 이 부분 사건을 다시 심리·판단하도록 원심법원에 환송하며, 피고인 1, 피고인 4의 상고를 모두 기각하기로 하여, 관여 대법관의 일치된 의견으로 주문과 같이 판결한다.

대법관 천대엽(재판장) 조재연 민유숙(주심) 이동원

Related statutes

Similar cases

Cases with high content similarity to this one.

#1
2010도9963 · 대법원 2012-05-24
폭력행위등처벌에관한법률위반(공동주거침입)
#2
2021도9055 · 대법원 2022-09-07
Obstruction of Business & Violation of the Act on the Punish
#3
96도419 · 대법원 1996-05-10
폭력행위등처벌에관한법률위반·업무방해
#4
2002도2243 · 대법원 2002-09-24
Violation of the Act on the Punishment of Violence, etc. (폭력
#5
2009고단229,247(병합),345(병합),432(병합),2009고정775(병합)-1(분리) · 서울남부지방법원 2009-05-25
폭력행위등 처벌에 관한 법률위반(공동 주거 침입)·폭력행위등 처벌에 관한 법률위반(공동 재물 손괴등)·집회

Cases citing this decision

2021도9055 · 대법원 2022-09-07
Obstruction of Business & Violation of the Act on the Punish

Related tools & guides

AI answers need an account (free accounts: 2 per month) — submit and you'll return to this question after logging in. Search and case reading stay free.

Cross-check the original: 국가법령정보센터 (auxiliary link)