'Bunsinsamang' Bang Yeong-hwan Assaulted and Threatened by Taxi Company CEO, Arrested and Indicted

Jeong Mo (51), the taxi company CEO accused of assaulting and threatening taxi driver Bang Yeonghwan (55), who self-immolated and died while demanding the implementation of a full salary system, has been brought to trial.

The Criminal Division 6 of the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Lee Jaeman) announced on the 18th that Jeong was arrested and indicted on charges including violation of the Labor Standards Act.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to the prosecution, Jeong is accused of assaulting Bang, a taxi driver affiliated with Haeseong Transport, who was conducting a solo protest in March condemning wage arrears and urging the implementation of a full salary system. In April, Jeong allegedly verbally abused Bang and disrupted the rally, and in August, he threatened Bang by attempting to throw a flowerpot at him during the protest.

Bang, who had been continuing his solo protest for 227 days, attempted self-immolation by dousing himself with a volatile substance on the road in front of the company on September 26 and died ten days later on October 6. Jeong denies the charges and is reported to have shown no remorse, stating that he bears no responsibility for Bang’s death by self-immolation and has no intention of apologizing to the bereaved family.

In response, the prosecution reviewed civil and criminal case records between Jeong and Bang and analyzed black box and mobile phone footage, uncovering circumstances indicating that Jeong continuously harassed Bang, leading to his death. They also found that Jeong unilaterally dismissed Bang in February 2020, and despite the Supreme Court recognizing the dismissal as unfair, Jeong refused to pay wages during the dismissal period, which were only paid after seizure.

The police transferred the assault charge against Jeong to prosecution under the criminal assault law, but the prosecution applied the Labor Standards Act, which carries a heavier penalty, considering the employer-employee relationship between Jeong and Bang, and brought the case to trial.

Furthermore, during the investigation, the prosecution additionally identified that on the 3rd of last month, one month after Bang’s death, Jeong assaulted taxi driver A (71), affiliated with the company, causing fractures requiring more than four weeks of treatment and threatened him with a fire extinguisher. The prosecution attempted to investigate employees present at the scene as witnesses, but they avoided giving statements and refused to appear, revealing signs of company-level concealment of the incident and collusion in testimony. To prove Jeong’s repeated violence, the investigation team also received and merged a retaliatory driving charge under investigation at the Incheon District Prosecutors' Office for prosecution.

A prosecution official stated, "We will take measures to support the victims, including Bang’s bereaved family and A, and enable their participation in the trial process. We will do our best to ensure that the defendant receives a sentence commensurate with the crime."