Multicultural Family Second Generation Shouted "Hey, Corona" on the Street... 50s Fined

Incheon District Court. / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Na Ye-eun] Two men in their 50s who made hateful remarks to a second-generation multicultural family member on the street were fined.

The Incheon District Court issued summary fines of 1 million won each to A (56) and B (52), who were charged with insult. A summary order is a court order imposing fines, penalties, or confiscation by the district court through written examination without a trial procedure.

Earlier, on October 27 last year, around 11 p.m., A and B were investigated for shouting "Hey, Corona!" or making remarks such as "Aren't they all illegal immigrants? They come to other people's land and live a tiring life" to C (29, female), a second-generation multicultural family member passing by on a street in Gyeyang-gu, Incheon.

When C protested, they continued with remarks like "Check if they are illegal immigrants," and "Aren't you a group that picks fights with Koreans?"

C, born to a Bangladeshi father and a Korean mother, filed a complaint against them with the Incheon District Prosecutors' Office along with 73 migrant rights organizations.

At a press conference last year, C appealed, "During the sensitive time of COVID-19, experiencing racial discrimination felt like my human rights were trampled," and "Please stop discriminating just because of different skin colors."

Lee Hyun-seo, the lawyer representing C, explained, "This court decision is the first case recognizing that hateful remarks related to 'COVID-19' against migrants constitute insult."