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| A man in his 20s accused of brutally assaulting a cab driver in his 60s is being taken to the Seoul Central District Court, May 7. Yonhap |
By Lee Hyo-jin
Calls are growing for strong punishment of a man in his 20s who allegedly assaulted a taxi driver in his 60s in Gwanak District, Seoul.
Police said the suspect, surnamed Park, acted out of anger against the taxi driver who expressed discontent after Park who was drunk vomited in the vehicle.
The incident took place outside the taxi in the district around 10 p.m., May 5, according to Gwanak Police Station.
After both of them got out of the car following an argument over Park's vomiting, Park pushed the driver to the ground and punched him in the face multiple times. He continued to assault the victim even after police officers, who received reports from witnesses, came to the site.
The Seoul Central District Court issued an arrest warrant for Park, Friday, on charges of assault and obstruction of police officers' duties.
The victim suffered several broken teeth and injuries to the back of his head for which he required surgery. He is currently recovering after receiving medical treatment in an intensive care unit.
Police said they will question the victim once he fully recovers, while proceeding with additional investigation through the dash cam in the taxi to determine whether the assault also took place in the car.
Park's brutal act raised public fury as video footage of the incident, supposedly filmed by pedestrians nearby, spread online rapidly via social media. A public petition was posted on the Cheong Wa Dae website, Friday, calling for strong punishment. It has garnered over 135,000 signatures as of Monday morning.
In addition, his personal information including name, occupation and address, along with his photo captured from his social media accounts, has been shared online.
