The sign reminds dog owners to leash their pets and carry bags for disposing of their dogs' waste. Gettyimagebank

A dog owner in his 40s was fined for assault after he refused to leash his pet during a walk and reacted violently when confronted.

According to the Seoul Central District Court's Criminal Division on Monday, a 45-year-old man, identified as A, was recently sentenced to a fine of 3 million won ($2,250) for assault.

In December last year, A was walking his dog at Hangang Park in Gangnam District, Seoul, when he encountered another dog owner, a man in his 20s, identified as B.

When A's dog, which was off-leash, almost got into a fight with B's dog, B requested that A put his dog on a leash.

When A ignored the request, B began filming the scene with his smartphone. In response, A tried to stop him by grabbing B's hand.

B warned, "Touching someone is assault," but A, unable to control his anger, grabbed B by the collar and pushed him. Although A admitted to his actions, he argued that it did not constitute assault.

However, judge Park So-jung ruled, "Assault refers to any exercise of force on a person's body, and such use of force implies the application of physical power that causes bodily pain."

Under the Animal Protection Act, dog owners are required to use a leash or harness of no more than 2 meters when outside with their pets.

The first violation results in a fine of 200,000 won, the second a fine of 300,000 won and the third a fine of 500,000 won.

If a failure to comply with safety measures causes bodily injury to a person, the owner may face up to two years in prison or a fine of up to 20 million won. In the case of a fatal accident, the owner could face up to three years in prison or a fine of up to 30 million won.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.