Obstruction of Business and Official Duties Charges
Court "Appeal Dismissed, Fine of 7 Million Won"
Former Seoul Gangbuk-gu Mayor Park Gyeom-su, who was charged with causing a disturbance in a taxi while intoxicated and assaulting police officers, was sentenced to a fine again in the appellate court.
Seoul Northern District Court [Image source=Yonhap News]
The Criminal Division 3 of the Seoul Northern District Court (Chief Judge Lee Dong-sik) on the 14th sentenced Park, who was tried for obstruction of business and obstruction of official duties, to a fine of 7 million won, the same as in the first trial.
The court explained the sentencing by stating, "Both the defendant and the prosecution appealed on the grounds of inappropriate sentencing, but we do not consider the first trial's sentence to be too heavy or too light."
Previously, the first trial court sentenced him to a fine of 7 million won, saying, "The defendant himself, by boasting that he is a former district mayor and demanding that the police officers kneel and apologize before him, acted in a manner inappropriate for the times." Both former Mayor Park and the prosecution appealed this decision.
Former Mayor Park is accused of being intoxicated on January 12 last year, refusing to pay the taxi fare, causing a scuffle with the driver, and assaulting two police officers at a nearby police box by pushing them.
It was revealed that he told the taxi driver and police officers at the time, "I am the former Gangbuk-gu Mayor," and "Do you know who I am to act like this?"
Park served as a Gangbuk-gu council member in 1995 and as a Seoul city council member in 1998.
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