"Mul" Irresponsible Remark... Taxi Driver Who Blocked Ambulance After Minor Collision Appears for Detention Hearing

"When asked 'You said you would take responsibility if the patient dies,' the response was 'I don't understand what you're saying'"

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jung-yoon] Taxi driver Choi Mo (31), who has been criticized for blocking an ambulance and causing the death of an emergency patient by demanding to handle a minor traffic accident first, appeared at court for a pre-trial detention hearing (warrant review).

Arriving at the Seoul Eastern District Court at around 10:25 a.m. on the 24th, Choi responded to reporters' questions, "You said you would take responsibility if the patient died, so how will you take responsibility?" by saying, "I don't understand what you're saying," and headed into the courtroom.

When asked, "Do you have anything to say to the bereaved family?" he consistently remained silent, waving his hand dismissively and replying, "Nothing."

The warrant review hearing was held from 10:30 a.m. under the presiding judge Kwon Deok-jin, who is in charge of warrants, and the decision on detention is expected to be made late in the afternoon.

The Gangdong Police Station in Seoul, which is investigating the case, applied for a pre-arrest warrant for Choi on the 21st of this month, stating, "The matter is serious and there is a risk of flight."

Choi is accused of deliberately causing a minor traffic accident with a private ambulance on a road near Godeok Station on Subway Line 5 in Gangdong-gu on the afternoon of the 8th of last month, and blocking it for about 10 minutes while demanding "Handle the accident first" (charges of special assault and obstruction of business).

The ambulance was transporting a 79-year-old stage 4 lung cancer patient who was experiencing breathing difficulties to the hospital. The patient was transferred to another 119 ambulance, arrived at the hospital, and received treatment but ultimately passed away around 9 p.m. that day.

This case became widely known and sparked public outrage after the deceased patient's son filed a petition on the Blue House's national petition platform demanding punishment for the taxi driver. The petition has garnered about 720,000 supporters to date.

The police have intensified the investigation by adding a violent crimes team from the criminal division of the same Gangdong Police Station to assist the traffic division, which has been investigating the case. They are also continuing to investigate other charges against Choi, such as negligent homicide, raised in the national petition and other sources.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.