Yonhap

A police officer has been relieved of duty for repeatedly slapping a drunk person in the face after the individual's persistent violent behavior and verbal insults.

According to the Gwanak Police Station in Seoul on Tuesday, the police inspector, 49, lost his job for assaulting a man making disturbances at one of its substations on Oct. 15, 2023.

A disciplinary committee looked into that case and concluded that the officer "could have used other means to restrain" him.

According to police, the man in his 20s was being questioned after allegedly assaulting a taxi driver as well as a police officer dispatched to handle the incident.

At the police substation, he continued to show aggressive behavior such as kicking a table while insulting the inspector and his colleagues, making remarks belittling their intelligence.

To subdue him, the inspector slapped his face eight times. The man immediately called 119, saying he was attacked by a police officer.

Later, the inspector apologized to the man and offered 5 million won ($3,700) to settle the case. The prosecution eventually decided not to indict the inspector, given the circumstance. But the five-member disciplinary committee maintained a tough position and dismissed him.

To save his job, the officer may appeal the decision or bring the case to court.

In some countries such as the U.S., police are often criticized for using excessive force. But in Korea, they hardly face such criticism because of the laws and administrative rules designed chiefly to protect the rights of those policed.

According to the National Police Agency's guideline on use of police force, released in 2019, law enforcement officers must use physical force "reasonably" only when "necessary." When they do, they must refrain from using it "excessively." Using force deemed "not proportionate," given the level of threat, could put the police officer in legal trouble later.

The guideline is often criticized for overly restricting police powers because, in reality, many of the people they deal with daily are criminal suspects.