"Scolded a 6th Grader for Smoking, Parents Sue for Assault... Worried About Harm to Children"

On the 9th, a post titled "I was sued by a 6th grader and her mother" was uploaded on the online community BobaeDream. [Photo by BobaeDream capture]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] A story has gone viral about a 6th-grade elementary school child who threatened people by riding a kickboard at high speed while smoking inside an apartment complex, and the father who scolded the child ended up being sued by the child's mother.

On the 9th, a post titled "I was sued by a 6th grader and their mother" was uploaded on the online community BobaeDream.

The author, Mr. A, who identified himself as a father of three children, said, "After 12 years of marriage, we won the lottery for an apartment and moved into a new apartment," adding, "Seeing my children and wife all happy, I was having a very joyful day as the head of the family."

He continued that around September 18, during the Chuseok holiday, he learned that a 6th-grade elementary school child was riding a kickboard at high speed across the central playground inside the apartment complex, teasing adults and running away.

At that time, other residents including Mr. A's wife, who witnessed the incident, stopped the child and talked to him. Mr. A claimed that during this process, the child used abusive language and insults toward his wife.

Mr. A said, "These days, kids act like that, so I was going to just let it go, but the child incited other kids to insult my wife, saying things like 'She is disabled. It's fun to tease that lady, so let's keep teasing her.'"

Later, Mr. A said, "I was so angry that I searched for the child until dawn but couldn't find him. The next day, I received a report in a group chat showing the child smoking a cigarette defiantly," adding, "A resident who caught the child reported it to the police."

He added, "The police also knew the child well," and "He is already a problematic child due to vehicle theft and arson, but the police said they couldn't sanction him for smoking and just let him go."

A citizen is riding an electric scooter. The photo is not related to any specific expression in this article.
Photo by Yonhap News

However, Mr. A, who could not easily give up, said, "If they can't impose any sanctions because of juvenile law even if they catch the child, I searched for him to impose restrictions on riding the kickboard to prevent threatening driving inside the apartment complex."

Eventually, Mr. A found a child with yellow-dyed hair in a group and said, "When I caught him and asked his name, he boldly told me. When I asked, 'Are you the problematic kid?' he replied, 'Yes, but why?' I really wanted to just slam him to the ground," expressing his anger.

Mr. A first took the child's phone fearing he would run away on the kickboard and asked for his parents' phone number. However, a struggle occurred during this process, and Mr. A explained, "It looked like the child was trying to escape, so I grabbed his neck, but the child also grabbed my neck."

Later, while talking with the child's mother, Mr. A's wife, other residents, and even the police who arrived, the child insisted to his mother that he did nothing wrong and expressed his grievance. Mr. A said the child said something like "Those people are trying to keep me out of the apartment."

A few hours later, Mr. A learned from the child's parents that he was being sued. Mr. A said he received a call from the police station asking, "The child's mother is very upset right now. She says she will sue. If you are sued, will you countersue?"

Mr. A replied, "It's embarrassing, but since my neck was grabbed too, I said if they sue, I would proceed the same way, and the matter was somewhat settled for the time being."

However, on the 8th, Mr. A received a call from the police station, not the local police box. He said, "It was registered as a criminal case, and after checking the CCTV, it looked like my one-sided assault," adding, "Usually, in such cases, people just talk it out and end it, but if not, they told me to come for an investigation in a week."

Mr. A lamented, "I heard this child is under probation, but the authorities only neglect the situation without any sanctions, which is truly deplorable," and "Seeing the parents who made the child into such a monster, I thought this is why home education is important."

He also expressed concern, saying, "The child rarely attends school and has been given up on by the school, so I worry he might harm my eldest daughter and second child."

Netizens who read this story responded with comments such as, "I'm worried the writer's children might be harmed for no reason," "The parents should properly educate their child," and "The law that protects children seems to be ruining them instead."

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