"Martial Law Play, Assault" Yangyang County Level 7 Public Servant Accused of Power Abuse, Complaint Filed... Investigation Underway

Full-Scale Investigation Launched into Alleged Abuse and Assault of Sanitation Workers
Police: "We Will Conduct a Swift and Thorough Investigation"

The police have launched a full-scale investigation after a complaint was filed regarding allegations that a level 7 driver-level public servant from Yangyang County, Gangwon Province, habitually abused his authority by assaulting and coercing sanitation workers.

Gangwon Yangyang County Office. Yangyang County

On the 25th, Sokcho Police Station announced, "We received a complaint related to the case today," and stated that they have questioned the complainant. The police had already begun an investigation into the matter prior to receiving the complaint and had booked Mr. A on charges of coercion. They plan to summon the suspect and related parties in sequence to verify the facts.

The public servant in question, Mr. A, is suspected of continuously harassing sanitation workers in the workplace through assault and coercion. Testimonies have confirmed that he engaged in so-called "martial law play," used violence, forced sanitation workers to run alongside garbage trucks instead of letting them ride, and ordered them to wear underwear of a specific color. It was also alleged that when he incurred losses in stocks he had invested in, he assaulted the person who lost at rock-paper-scissors and forced them to purchase stocks of his choosing.

As the controversy grew, Yangyang County immediately transferred Mr. A to another department and removed him from all work related to sanitation workers. The county stated that it had taken measures to separate the parties for victim protection and would initiate disciplinary procedures based on the results of the investigation.

In connection with this case, the Ministry of Employment and Labor also launched an ex officio investigation on the 24th to determine whether there were violations of the Local Public Officials Act and to examine possible criminal acts such as assault, coercion, and intimidation. Previously, on the 23rd, Chief Presidential Secretary Kang Hoonshik had instructed the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the Ministry of Employment and Labor, and the police to take strict action.

A police official stated, "We will conduct a swift and thorough investigation in accordance with the law and established procedures, including the collection of relevant evidence."