"Have You Ever Been Hit by a Customer?" Then 'Puk Puk'... Drunken Customer Assaults 70s Taxi Driver

A Passenger Who Ignored Taxi Fare Payment Request
Suddenly Asked, "Have You Ever Been Hit by a Passenger?"
Then Unleashed Unprovoked Assault on Taxi Driver While Vehicle Was in Motion
"My Finger Is Injured," Both Sides Claim Mutual Assault, Causing Outrage

In Pohang City, Gyeongbuk Province, a taxi driver in his 70s was assaulted by a passenger. The perpetrator is currently denying wrongdoing by claiming 'mutual assault.'

On the 6th, a post titled "I am the son of the Pohang taxi driver who was assaulted" was uploaded to an online community. As of 8 a.m. on the 7th, the post had garnered 73,500 views and 2,500 recommendations, becoming a major topic of discussion. The author, Mr. A, began by saying, "I am posting this to widely inform people of the unjust incident my father suffered and to seek help so that such harm does not happen again."

In Pohang City, Gyeongbuk, a taxi driver in his 70s was assaulted by a passenger. The photo is not directly related to the incident. [Image source=Pixabay]

Mr. A’s father stopped his taxi around 7:30 p.m. on May 31 in front of a cellphone store in Hanggu-dong, Buk-gu, Pohang City, after spotting passenger Mr. B. Mr. A explained, "The passenger got into the front seat of the taxi, and my father headed toward the destination Mr. B mentioned, Honghae-eup, Pohang." He continued, "When they arrived at the destination, Mr. B asked, 'Have you ever been hit by a passenger?' My father replied, 'No, I haven’t,' and then asked Mr. B to pay the fare."

However, Mr. B became increasingly aggressive, reclining his seat and pretending to sleep without paying the fare," Mr. A said. "Despite my father’s repeated requests for payment, Mr. B did not respond, so my father started driving toward the police station. Mr. B then made a phone call and told my father to take the call. My father took the phone and spoke for about a minute."

Mr. B’s misconduct did not end there. Mr. A said, "Mr. B tried to reach for a money bag near the gear shift, but my father stopped him. Then Mr. B threw my father’s money bag toward the driver’s seat, obstructing the operation, grabbed my father’s ear, and struck his face seven times." He added, "Mr. B pulled out a sharp object resembling a car key from his back pocket, held it in his hand, and hit my father’s face about ten times, also pulling his hair. Despite being assaulted while driving, my father kept his left hand on the steering wheel and used his right arm to shield his face and head, eventually stopping the car on an empty roadside to prevent a secondary accident."

"Although my father’s face was covered in blood from the assault, Mr. B continued to strike his face with the weapon in hand. After stopping the car, my father got out and immediately called 112. From then on, he waited outside for the police to arrive. After my father exited the car, Mr. B wiped the blood off his own face and sat by the roadside about two minutes later," Mr. A recounted.

"I also hurt my finger" Claims of Mutual Assault

However, Mr. B shows no remorse and instead claims "I also hurt my finger," insisting it was a case of mutual assault.

Mr. A said, "My father was the sole victim, so I cannot understand how this could be considered mutual assault. My father was not in a state to attack anyone and did not assault Mr. B. The dashcam footage clearly shows my father being assaulted unilaterally." He added, "My father suffered lacerations on his forehead, beside his right eye, and on his nose, with a nasal fracture. The wounds were sutured on June 1, and he is scheduled for nasal fracture surgery on June 7. However, since the other party claims mutual assault, the police are currently investigating it as such."

In an interview with Channel A, Mr. B claimed, "I was drunk and don’t remember much," but also said, "I think I assaulted Mr. A’s father because he couldn’t find the destination properly." In response, Mr. A said, "Even if my father arrived at a place different from the one Mr. B described as his home, does that justify beating someone until they are covered in blood?" He appealed, "I want to know how to ensure this perpetrator is severely punished. Please help prevent taxi drivers from being assaulted anymore."

Netizens who read the story responded with comments such as, "Shouldn’t he be detained and investigated immediately?", "This is a horrific incident," "My father also drives a private taxi, so this hits close to home," "This is attempted murder," "This really shows how scary humans can be," "If the other party files a mutual assault complaint, file a false accusation charge against them as well," "Wishing a speedy recovery both physically and mentally," and "As a fellow Pohang resident, I am ashamed."