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May 20, 2008
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| The Seoul metropolitan government apologized to the public yesterday for an assault by a young man on an elderly female street vendor during a protest against U.S. beef imports on Saturday. An unidentified man, 23, was conducting a crackdown on illegal street vendors. He had been hired by a private company under contract with the city. As video of the assault spread on the Internet, the city s Web site was bombarded with hundreds of complaints from upset online users. Although he was an employee of a private company, we understand the public anger over the assault on the elderly woman, said Bang Tae-won, head of the city s street management department at a press briefing yesterday at City Hall. We sincerely apologize to the woman and to Seoul citizens. In the 90-second video, the man kicked at the gimbap the woman was selling, grabbed her by the collar and punched her in the face. The woman fell down as the man kicked her. The video was filmed by a cell phone camera and posted online by a participant in the candlelight vigil at Cheonggye Plaza. Yesterday the man voluntarily appeared at Jongno Police Office for questioning. I snapped as she swore at me and grabbed me by the collar, he said. Police have been searching for the woman, who had not been identified. The city ordered the company to fire the employee and will end its contract with the company. By Kim Soe-jung Staff Reporter [soejung@joongang.co.kr] |
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