"Just grabbed the sleeve and moved after a dispute with the manager"
A merchant at Seocheon Specialty Market stated that the recent allegations of assaulting a public official are not true. / The photo shows the customer rest area at the Specialty Market / Seocheon = Photo by Lee Byeong-ryeol
Regarding the allegations of a merchant at the temporary specialized market in Seocheon, Chungnam, assaulting a public official, the merchant insisted, "I did not assault the public official, nor did I cause any disturbance," expressing his grievance.
Merchant A from the Seocheon temporary specialized market told Asia Economy on the 2nd, "Before the market's temporary opening, executive B of the merchants' association told me that the seafood stall in the Fisheries Building was too small and that I should share the space with another merchant, so I agreed. However, without any notice, a customer rest area was established."
He continued, "I thought we would be sharing the stall, so I even prepared facilities suitable for the limited shop area, but I was shocked to learn that the merchant I was supposed to share with decided not to operate in the temporary building."
Earlier, some media outlets reported on April 30th about a Seocheon specialized market merchant assaulting a public official, sparking controversy.
A said, "Executive B of the merchants' association did not say anything, and when the market temporarily opened and I was at the shop, I tried to talk with a county office manager, but he avoided me saying, 'Why are you doing this to me?'. Seeing the manager reject complaints on-site and respond harshly was shocking and absurd," he lamented.
He added, "We raised our voices asking who we should talk to when there is a complaint, and after about 20 minutes of struggle, I grabbed the manager's sleeve to move him, but I never assaulted or caused any disturbance, nor did I demand to expand the space."
He also said, "Merchants who were feeling loss and despair due to the fire found new hope with the temporary market opening, and I bow my head to apologize for damaging the reputation of the market and merchants due to this unfortunate incident. However, due to some media reports that are not based on facts, my powerless family and I have fallen into deep self-reproach."
Meanwhile, Seocheon County is reportedly considering filing a complaint or requesting an investigation with judicial authorities against A, based on advice from a legal counsel, and is also reviewing the cancellation of the market usage permit.
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