Lee Yonggu Criticized as "Tough Guy" and "Increasingly Lawless Ministry" After Assaulting Taxi Driver While Drunk

Lee Yonggu, Deputy Minister of Justice, is holding a joint briefing on the Three Fair Economy Acts at the Government Seoul Office briefing room on the 16th.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy, reporter Choi Eunyoung] Controversy over a "lenient investigation" has erupted after it was belatedly revealed that Lee Yonggu, Deputy Minister of Justice, assaulted a taxi driver while intoxicated last month but the case was closed without further investigation. In response, People Power Party lawmakers and former Dongyang University professor Jin Joongkwon have simultaneously criticized the situation, using phrases such as "tough guy" and "increasingly lawless Ministry of Justice."

On December 19, Kim Woong, a member of the People Power Party, wrote on his Facebook page, "We live in a world where those in power can assault powerless taxi drivers and face no punishment," adding, "This is exactly the goal of the Moon Jaein administration's investigation authority reform. The completion of that ambition is the fake Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIHRO)." He strongly criticized the situation.

He continued, "The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office should immediately conduct a full review of all driver assault cases transferred from Seocho Police Station. If there are cases where, despite a settlement, the case was not closed and was instead transferred for prosecution, especially involving assaults on taxi or bus drivers while stopped, then the case involving Lee Yonggu is clearly a lenient investigation. This constitutes abuse of authority and dereliction of duty," he emphasized.

Cho Susin, a member of the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee from the same party, also criticized the situation, saying, "The Ministry of Justice is becoming increasingly lawless," and sarcastically referred to "the fantastic duo of Choo Mi-ae and Lee Yonggu."

Former Dongyang University professor Jin Joongkwon is giving a lecture on the topic "Talking About Korean Society: The Future of Ideology, Generation, and Culture" at an Economic and Social Research Institute seminar held on the afternoon of July 2 at Choi Ina Bookstore in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Jin Joongkwon, former Dongyang University professor known for his outspoken criticism of both the current administration and opposition figures, also mocked Deputy Minister Lee by calling him a "tough guy." He further stated, "Assaulting a driver is a serious crime, and in this case, it is an incident where a member of the powerful assaulted an ordinary citizen. This is by no means a matter that can be taken lightly." He added, "There are no exceptions in the law for appointing someone who assaults ordinary citizens as a deputy minister. This case demonstrates that those who talk about 'reform' are actually trapped in a feudalistic mindset."

According to Seocho Police Station in Seoul on December 19, Deputy Minister Lee, while working as a lawyer early last month, assaulted a taxi driver by grabbing his collar because the driver tried to wake him up while he was sleeping in the car after drinking.

The police, responding to a 112 emergency call from the taxi driver, confirmed Lee's identity and let him go, stating they would investigate later. Subsequently, the taxi driver expressed that he did not wish to press charges, and the case was closed without further investigation.

However, Article 5-10 of the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes stipulates that anyone who assaults or threatens the driver of a moving vehicle shall be punished by up to five years in prison or a fine of up to 20 million won, leading to controversy.

In particular, with the 2015 amendment to the law, the scope of "while operating" was expanded to include cases where the driver of a vehicle used for passenger transport is temporarily stopped for passengers to board or alight. Moreover, the non-prosecution upon victim's objection ("ban-uisa-bulbeol") clause does not apply, further fueling suspicions that this was a typical case of a lenient investigation.

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