Traffic light malfunction but ticket issued anyway... "We'll give you a cheaper one"

Apology statement posted by the Chungbuk Eumseong Police Station on the 15th. Photo by Eumseong Police Station website capture.

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Bong-ju] A police officer who fined a driver for running a red light after starting from an intersection with a broken traffic signal in Eumseong, Chungbuk, while the driver had turned on the hazard lights, is now under internal investigation.

The Eumseong Police Station announced on the 17th that it has launched a fact-finding investigation into the officer involved.

The police will decide on disciplinary action based on the results of the investigation. Any improperly charged fines will be refunded.

Driver A was caught by the police for running a red light at an intersection with a broken traffic signal on a road in Geumwang-eup, Eumseong-gun, around 2:45 p.m. on the 11th.

A explained that since neither the pedestrian signal nor the vehicle traffic light at the crosswalk was working, they turned on the hazard lights and slowly passed through the intersection.

However, a police officer at the next intersection fined A for running a red light.

The driver explained that the traffic light was off, but the police said, "You can tell by looking at the signal at the next intersection, so we will issue the fine without penalty points."

A received a fine notice of 40,000 won for violating the intersection passage rules.

The police confirmed that they were aware of the traffic signal malfunction.

Later, the dashcam footage from the incident was posted on a YouTube channel, sparking controversy. Over 300 protest messages were posted on the Eumseong Police Station’s website.

As criticism intensified, the Eumseong Police Station eventually posted an apology titled "Apology Regarding the Red Light Violation Enforcement" on its website on the 15th.