Deputy Minister Lee Yong-gu Apologizes for 'Assault on Taxi Driver'... "Police Will Determine the Facts"

Lee Yong-gu, Deputy Minister of Justice. [Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin] Lee Yong-gu, the Deputy Minister of Justice, who caused controversy after assaulting a taxi driver while intoxicated and receiving a dismissal of investigation from the police, has belatedly issued an apology to the public and the taxi driver.

On the afternoon of the 21st, Lee released a statement to reporters saying, "I deeply apologize for causing concern to the public due to a personal matter," and added, "I would also like to once again apologize to the taxi driver."

He continued, "I believe the police will review the matter and determine the facts," and added, "As a public official, I will conduct myself more prudently in the future."

About 20 days before his appointment as Deputy Minister of Justice, on the late afternoon of the 6th of last month, Lee assaulted a taxi driver who was trying to wake him up in front of his apartment in Seocho-gu while intoxicated, but was not booked, which sparked controversy.

The Seocho Police Station in Seoul stated that they applied the charge of assault under the Criminal Act, which is a quasi-offense requiring the victim's consent for prosecution, and dismissed the investigation because the taxi driver submitted a letter of withdrawal of complaint. However, since the assault on a driver operating a vehicle should have been charged under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes, which mandates heavier penalties, it was pointed out that Lee should have been criminally booked regardless of the victim's intention not to prosecute, raising suspicions of a lenient investigation.

In particular, controversy grew when it was revealed that the Constitutional Court decision cited by the police as the basis for dismissing the investigation was a case from before the 2015 amendment of the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes.

As the situation worsened, the police stated on the same day, "We will conduct a thorough re-examination of precedents, focusing on legal professionals within the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, current lawyers, and senior officers who handled this case in practice."

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