Injured for 3 Weeks After Being Hit by Golf Ball While Running Marathon... Police Send Golf Course Officials for Prosecution

Officials from the operating company have been referred to the prosecution in connection with an incident last year where a marathon participant running near a golf course in Incheon was injured by a golf ball.

On the 10th, the Yeonsu Police Station in Incheon announced that they had sent Mr. A, a man in his 50s and general manager of the operating company of a golf course in Songdo International City, and Mr. B, a safety manager in his 30s, to the prosecution without detention on charges of professional negligence causing injury.

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Mr. A and others are accused of failing to properly manage safety at a golf course in Songdo-dong, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, around 9:05 a.m. on October 6 last year, resulting in injuries to Mr. C (30), who was running nearby.

Mr. C was participating in a 10 km marathon course held that day and was running near the golf course when he was suddenly hit in the face by a flying golf ball. He was transported by ambulance to a nearby hospital, where he was diagnosed with injuries to his teeth and temporomandibular joint, requiring approximately three weeks of medical treatment.

After receiving Mr. C’s complaint and launching an investigation, the police confirmed that the golf course had not installed nets to prevent balls from flying outside the premises.

It is known that there had been several previous cases of golf balls flying outside the golf course before this incident.

A police official stated, "Although Mr. C reached a settlement with the golf course, professional negligence causing injury is not a crime that can be dropped by the victim, so the investigation continued. We judged that the golf course was responsible for neglecting safety management and referred the case to the prosecution."

The golf course stated that they had not installed nets due to complaints from nearby residents about obstructed views but expressed their intention to strengthen safety management.

An official from the golf course operating company claimed, "Before acquiring the golf course in July 2022, we even prepared materials to install nets, but due to complaints from residents of nearby apartments that it would spoil the view, we discarded the materials and restored the area to its original state." He added, "To prevent safety accidents, we planted 300 trees around the golf course. We have requested that events near the golf course be minimized to prevent similar incidents and are coordinating with relevant agencies to strengthen safety measures as much as possible."

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