Last year, the prosecution demanded a one-year prison sentence for a Nonghyup cooperative head who assaulted a public official over dissatisfaction with the seating arrangement for VIPs at an event in Yanggu-gun, Gangwon Province. The public officials' union urged strict punishment, stating, "We must sound the alarm on the social reality where violence against public officials is perceived as a right."
According to Yonhap News on the 7th, "According to the Gangwon Regional Headquarters of the National Public Officials Labor Union, at the sentencing hearing held on the 30th of last month at Chuncheon District Court, presided over by Judge Kim Taek-seong of Criminal Division 2, the prosecution made this demand in the case against cooperative head A of Yanggu Nonghyup for obstruction of official duties and other charges."
Cooperative head A was brought to trial on charges of assault after grabbing the collar of public official B, who was assisting with the event, and dragging him outside the venue, then kicking him once in the shin, due to dissatisfaction with protocol issues during the Yanggu-gun Gender Equality Festival on October 23 of last year. B’s daughter, who worked with him at the county office, was also present at the event. It is known that B, who was victimized under the gaze of many people, sought medical treatment due to the shock related to the assault.
In an apology posted on the county office’s website four days after the incident, cooperative head A explained, "I was dissatisfied with the seating arrangement for VIPs and could not control my emotions." He added, "This incident was not intentional but a simple accident. I had no intention to disrespect or demean public officials, and it was my fault for momentarily losing control of my emotions. I deeply apologize to the public official involved, their family, the county office staff, and all the citizens who were hurt."
However, the Yanggu-gun branch of the National Public Officials Labor Union filed a complaint against cooperative head A for obstruction of official duties and injury, and the case was transferred to the prosecution at the end of last year. The Gangwon Headquarters of the union stated on the day, "We must sound the alarm on the social reality where malicious civil complaints and violence against public officials are perceived as rights," emphasizing the need for strict punishment of cooperative head A. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for the 28th of this month.
Meanwhile, it has been reported that there are about 41,000 malicious civil complaints against public officials annually over the past six years. According to data from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, there were 249,714 illegal acts against public officials nationwide from 2018 to 2023. Among these, verbal abuse and threats accounted for 228,837 cases, the highest number, followed by sexual harassment (2,851 cases) and assault (1,614 cases). There were also cases of property damage, possession of dangerous items, drunken disturbances, and obstruction of duties.
In response, the government announced measures to prevent malicious civil complaints and protect public officials in May. Lee Seong-gwon, a member of the People Power Party representing Busan Saha-gap, emphasized, "Illegal acts by complainants are selfish behaviors that harm citizens’ convenience. The government must continuously monitor the effectiveness of the announced measures to minimize harm to public officials."
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