40s Dog Owner Who Grabbed Protester by Collar Over "Put on a Leash" Ordered to Pay Fine

Dog Owners Clash Leading to Assault and Video Recording
Seoul Central District Court Sentences 3 Million Won Fine for Assault Charges

A man in his 40s who was prosecuted for hitting another dog owner after being complained about for not putting a leash on his dog was sentenced to a fine.

The Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 2 (Judge Park So-jung) sentenced Mr. A (45), who was prosecuted for assault, to a fine of 3 million won, Yonhap News reported on the 8th.

Mr. A was walking his dog at Hangang Park in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, around 10:30 p.m. last December when he encountered Mr. B, a dog owner in his 20s. At that time, Mr. A's dog was not wearing a leash, so Mr. B asked Mr. A to "put a leash on your dog." The Animal Protection Act stipulates that when going out with a pet, a leash or harness of 2 meters or less must be used, but Mr. A did not comply. However, Mr. A ignored Mr. B's request, and Mr. B began recording the situation on his mobile phone.

The photo is not related to the specific content of the article [Image source=Pixabay]

Mr. A grabbed Mr. B's right hand and protested, telling him not to film, trying to stop the recording, while Mr. B retorted, "Don't grab me. Grabbing is also assault." Angered, Mr. A momentarily grabbed Mr. B by the collar and pushed him, according to the investigation. It was also reported that during the confrontation, Mr. A struck Mr. B's hand, which was holding the phone, committing assault.

Mr. A, who was prosecuted, admitted to these actions but argued that they did not constitute assault. However, the court's judgment was different. The court explained, "Assault refers to the exercise of physical force against a person's body," and "the exercise of such physical force means the application of physical power that causes bodily pain." Regarding sentencing, the court stated, "Consideration was given to the fact that the exercise of physical force was not severe."

Meanwhile, the fully revised Animal Protection Act, which took effect on April 27 last year, stipulates that not only dangerous dogs but also companion dogs must be leashed or harnessed when going out, and the leash length must be kept within 2 meters. If violated and a person is injured or dies, the dog owner may face imprisonment of up to 3 years or a fine of up to 30 million won.

On May 24 at around 9:50 a.m., Mr. C, a man in his 50s riding a bicycle on the Jungnangcheon bike path in Ganeung-dong, Uijeongbu-si, Gyeonggi Province, suddenly collided with a small dog that ran onto the bike path. Mr. C suffered a severe head injury and was unconscious before passing away a week later. At the time of the accident, the small dog's owner was resting under a bridge, and the dog was not wearing a leash. The police have booked the small dog's owner on charges of violating the Animal Protection Act.