"10 Years of Toll Fees at Once"... Driver Throws 500 Won at Toll Booth Staff, Final Outcome

Fined 1 Million Won for Assault Charges
"Didn't You Lower the Fare?" Verbal Abuse Toward Employee
Coins Received as Change Thrown at Employee

A driver who insulted a tollgate employee and threw coins was sentenced to a fine on charges of assault.

On the 13th, Newsis reported that Judge Yoo Jeong-hee of the Changwon District Court Criminal Division 3 sentenced a man in his 50s, identified as Mr. A, to a fine of 1 million won on assault charges. On July 8th last year, around 10:05 a.m., Mr. A stopped at a tollgate while passing through the Machang Bridge in Changwon, Gyeongnam, to pay the toll. At that time, Mr. A asked the tollgate cashier, Mr. B (also in his 50s), in a casual tone, "You said there was a discount, but didn’t the toll go down?"

A driver who insulted a tollgate employee and threw coins was fined on assault charges. On the 13th, Newsis reported that Judge Yoo Jeong-hee of the Changwon District Court Criminal Division 3 sentenced a man in his 50s, identified as Mr. A, to a fine of 1 million won for assault charges. The photo is unrelated to the specific content of the article.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

In response, Mr. B explained, "There is no discount on weekend tolls." Upon hearing this, Mr. A cursed at Mr. B, saying, "Are you kidding me? Are you mocking me?" Then, he said, "Earn an extra 500 won," and threw a 500-won coin he received as change toward Mr. B’s face. The coin hit the window frame of the toll booth, according to the investigation. The court ruled that Mr. A’s act of throwing the coin and hitting the window frame constituted assault. The court stated, "The defendant’s criminal nature is poor," but also considered "his admission of wrongdoing and remorse, as well as the absence of prior convictions exceeding fines or similar offenses."

Meanwhile, articles related to Mr. A were quickly shared across various online communities and became a hot topic among netizens. Comments included, "He paid nearly 1,000 times the amount he tried to save by a few hundred won," "Such troublemakers must be taught a lesson through lawsuits even if it’s bothersome," "He paid 10 years’ worth of tolls in one go," and "Not only criminal but also civil lawsuits must be pursued."