Man Sentenced to Prison in First Trial for Assaulting Bus Driver and Passenger Over Mask Wearing Request

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jung-yoon] A man who refused to wear a mask on a bus and assaulted the bus driver and passengers was sentenced to prison in the first trial.

According to the legal community on the 18th, the Seoul Eastern District Court Criminal Division 12 (Chief Judge Park Sang-gu) sentenced A (60), who was indicted for violating the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes (assaulting a driver, etc.), to 1 year and 6 months in prison on the 16th.

On August 25 last year, A caused a disturbance on a bus operating in Songpa-gu, Seoul, by verbally abusing and scratching the face of the bus driver who requested him to "wear the mask properly." When a passenger reported to the police, he forcibly removed the mask and hit the face several times, and also assaulted other passengers who tried to stop him.

A is also charged with obstructing the bus operation for 13 minutes by shouting phrases such as "Who is reporting to the police?" inside the bus.

The court stated, "Assaulting a driver on a city bus in operation can cause traffic accidents and harm an unspecified number of people," and added, "The sentence was determined considering that some victims reached a settlement."

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