Man in His 30s Booked for Assaulting 119 Crew After Grandmother Refused Hospital Transport

Under Police Investigation for Obstruction of Official Duties

A man in his 30s has been booked by the police for assaulting emergency responders after they attempted to return to base, having been refused hospital transport by his grandmother.

According to Yonhap News Agency, on August 6, the Namwon Police Station in North Jeolla Province announced that they had booked a man in his 30s, identified as A, on charges of obstructing official duties for assaulting emergency responders while intoxicated.

A is accused of striking the chest and other parts of a 119 ambulance crew member at around 9:30 p.m. on May 29 in a residential area of Namwon, following an emergency call. The firefighters had responded to a report that A's grandmother, identified as B, was unwell.

However, when B refused hospital transport, stating that she was fine, and no significant health issues were observed, the crew attempted to return to base. At that point, A, angered by their decision, assaulted the emergency responder by striking their chest with his shoulder.

The fire authorities determined that A had violated the Framework Act on Fire Services and referred him to the prosecution. However, the prosecution concluded that A had assaulted the emergency responder after the emergency service had ended, and therefore considered the case as obstruction of official duties rather than a violation of the Framework Act on Fire Services, and transferred the case to the police. The police are continuing their investigation after taking over the case from the prosecution.

Meanwhile, under the current Framework Act on Fire Services, anyone who interferes with the rescue or emergency activities of firefighters may face up to five years in prison or a fine of up to 50 million won.

Specific acts of interference include: using force to obstruct firefighting or rescue operations by dispatched firefighters; intentionally hindering firefighters from entering or arriving at the scene for firefighting, rescue, or emergency activities; assaulting or threatening dispatched firefighters to obstruct their duties; and damaging or impairing the effectiveness of firefighting equipment.