Rep. Lee Hyung-seok on Assault of Paramedics Who Helped but Were Beaten: "Light Punishment Is the Problem"

Since 2016, There Have Been 877 Assault Cases Against Paramedics, but Only 427 Punishments
Strict Law Enforcement Is Needed for Assaults on Paramedics

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] Lee Hyung-seok, a member of the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee from the Democratic Party of Korea (Gwangju Buk-gu Eul), revealed that there have been 876 cases of assault on paramedics in the past five years, but only 427 cases resulted in fines or imprisonment.

According to Lee's analysis of data on paramedic assault cases submitted by the National Fire Agency since 2016, the number of assault cases was 199 in 2016, slightly decreased to 167 in 2017, but increased again to 216 in 2018, and recorded 90 cases as of June 2020.

Among these assaults on paramedics who help others but are attacked, Seoul had the highest number with 236 cases, followed by Gyeonggi with 183, Busan 68, Daegu 45, and Chungnam 43. Gwangju had 20 cases, and Jeonnam had 12 cases.

The problem lies in the lenient punishment for offenders who assault paramedics. Among the 876 offenders in the past five years, only 427 cases resulted in fines or imprisonment. Considering cases still under trial or investigation, 300 offenders, accounting for 34%, were not punished due to suspended prosecution, suspended sentencing, or other reasons.

Lee Hyung-seok of the Democratic Party of Korea pointed out, “Despite the National Fire Agency's declaration to apply a zero-tolerance policy toward assaults on paramedics, such incidents continue to occur every year,” and added, “Offenders who assault paramedics should bear stricter legal responsibility, and measures should be established to allow paramedics to exercise at least minimal self-defense rights to protect themselves.”

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