Suncheon city official arrested after allegedly assaulting taxi driver, driving off with vehicle

A senior civil servant in Suncheon, South Jeolla, was arrested after allegedly assaulting a taxi driver and driving off with the vehicle. Police arrested the Suncheon city official, who is reportedly Grade 5 in ranking, on suspicion of robbery.

The Korean police's logo as seen on an officer [YONHAP]

A senior civil servant in Suncheon, South Jeolla, was arrested after allegedly assaulting a taxi driver and driving off with the vehicle.

Police arrested the Suncheon city official, who is reportedly Grade 5 in ranking, on suspicion of robbery, the police said Tuesday.

The official is accused of attacking a taxi driver around 12:10 a.m. Tuesday, while riding in the driver's vehicle in Jogok-dong, Suncheon. After the driver exited the vehicle, the official allegedly drove the taxi for about 2 to 3 kilometers (1.2 to 1.9 miles) before stopping.

The official was heavily intoxicated at the time, according to police. Officers from a local precinct responded to a report and arrested the official at the scene.

Police are investigating the circumstances of the incident and will decide whether to seek an arrest warrant. Suncheon city government will begin a fact-finding probe once it receives details from police.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. BY JANG GU-SEUL [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]