Jinju City to Designate 50s Injured While Trying to Stop 'Shortcut Convenience Store Part-Time Worker Assault' as Disaster Victim

Benefits such as reward payments for designating wanted persons
City "Considering various support measures including job placement"

Jinju City, Gyeongnam Province, is pushing to designate a man in his 50s who was injured while helping a female convenience store part-timer being indiscriminately assaulted for having short hair as a meritorious person.

Male A, who was injured while trying to stop the assault on a female part-time worker at a convenience store in Jinju-si, Gyeongnam, last November. [Image source=CCTV footage (Yonhap News), YTN]

On the 8th, Jinju City announced that considering the financial difficulties faced by Mr. A, a man in his 50s, they are preparing to present him with a Model Citizen Award as well as designate him as a meritorious person. A meritorious person refers to someone who, risking their life and physical safety, was injured while rescuing another person from harm outside of their official duties. Once designated as a meritorious person, various benefits such as compensation payments and medical care can be received. A city official stated, "Since Mr. A sacrificed himself to save a citizen, we judged that local government support is necessary," and added, "Apart from the meritorious person designation, we are considering various support measures including job placement."

Mr. A was seriously injured, including fractures to his shoulder and other areas, after becoming involved in an assault incident at a convenience store in Hadae-dong, Jinju City, on November 4 last year. At that time, a man in his 20s violently assaulted a female part-timer in her 20s, saying, "Since a woman has short hair, she must be a feminist. Feminists need to be beaten," and attacked her indiscriminately. Mr. A, who was at the scene, tried to stop the assault but was also beaten, resulting in fractures to his shoulder, forehead, and nose, and lacerations to his ear, neck, and eye areas that required suturing surgery. He reportedly lost his job afterward, suffered financial hardship, and is receiving psychological treatment. Mr. A also submitted a plea to the Changwon District Court Jinju Branch on the 29th of last month, urging for severe punishment of the defendant.

Additionally, the female part-timer victim, Ms. B, is suffering from hearing loss as a sequela. Due to this incident, Ms. B has lost hearing and must use a hearing aid. On the 29th of last month, she posted on X (formerly Twitter), "Due to the perpetrator’s assault, my left ear was diagnosed with auditory nerve damage and sensorineural hearing loss. There is no separate treatment for the already lost hearing, so it remains a permanent injury, and wearing a hearing aid is the only method."

The prosecution requested a five-year prison sentence, stating that the victim’s suffering continues due to the defendant’s abnormal crime. The first trial verdict for this case is scheduled to be held on the 9th at the Changwon District Court Jinju Branch.