A 20-Year-Old Taxi Passenger Who Said "Let's Go Quickly" Suddenly Picks Up Hiking Boots

Taxi Driver Assault Incident in Chuncheon, Gangwon
Unable to Drive Due to Concussion and Trauma Symptoms
Similar Assault on Driver by 20s in Daegu Last Month

A passenger who assaulted a taxi driver recklessly while intoxicated, causing a concussion, has been handed over to the prosecution. On the 18th, SBS reported, "On the 10th of last month, in Dongnae-myeon, Chuncheon-si, Gangwon-do, a male passenger sitting in the back seat of a taxi urged the driver to 'go faster' and suddenly struck the taxi driver's head multiple times with hiking boots."

[Image source=SBS news screen capture]

According to the taxi's internal footage at the time, passenger A said to the taxi driver, "Go damn fast," and suddenly began hitting the driver's head with hiking boots. Even though the driver said, "I will go faster," A continued to curse and violently assaulted the driver's face and other areas about 15 times with his fists. Afterwards, taxi driver Kim tried to stop the car on the shoulder and escape, but A grabbed Kim's hair and did not let go.

After Kim barely escaped, when A opened the door and tried to follow him out, a passing citizen helped prevent him from getting out and was able to report the incident to the police. Taxi driver Kim told SBS, "If the dispute had been about the fare with that person, I could have understood a little bit..." expressing his frustration.

A, who was arrested by the police, was recently sent to the prosecution on charges related to the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes. He reportedly stated during the police investigation, "I was drunk, so I don't remember well." On the other hand, the victim Kim suffered severe ear injuries from the assault, experiencing tinnitus, and has been receiving treatment for a concussion for a month. He still has trauma and cannot even hold the steering wheel. Kim said, "When I try to work again, I hear noises in my ear and feel dizzy, and when there is a passenger in the back, I keep looking back, so I can't work properly."

Ongoing Assaults on Taxi Drivers... Courts Also Impose Strict Punishments

As year-end and New Year drinking gatherings increase, assaults on taxi drivers continue. Last month, in Beomeo-dong, Suseong-gu, Daegu Metropolitan City, a passenger in his 20s was booked on charges of assaulting a taxi driver and causing injury. The passenger allegedly assaulted the driver’s face about 10 times after getting off at the destination when the driver asked for the fare, causing injuries requiring two weeks of medical treatment. The police are investigating the circumstances of the incident based on the victim’s statement that the passenger smelled of alcohol.

According to the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes, assaulting or threatening a taxi driver while the taxi is in operation is punishable by up to five years in prison or a fine of up to 20 million won. Assaults during driving have a high risk of leading to major accidents, so courts are also increasingly imposing strict punishments.