Drunk man assaults ER staff, because of their tone

A South Korean man threatens the emergency room staff at a Daejeon hospital in this Nov. 17 photo provided by the police. (Daejeon Metropolitan Police Agency)

South Korean police on Tuesday said it was investigating a 50-something man for assaulting and insulting the emergency medical staff of a hospital, which the suspect said was because the staff spoke to him "in a commanding tone."

According to Daejeon Dongbu Police Station, the suspect was taken to an emergency room of a hospital in Dong-gu, Daejeon, some 160 kilometers south of Seoul, to be treated for an injury to his face. He was drunk at the time.

He punched the medical staff and cursed at them, threatening to set the hospital on fire. The medical staff did not sustain serious injuries.

The suspect told police that he was offended by the ER staff, whom he claimed used a commanding tone when addressing him.

The court declined the police's request for an arrest warrant, and officers are investigating him for possible violation of Article 12 of the Emergency Medical Service Act. The article states that no person shall interfere with medical treatment by emergency medical personnel by violence, threat or deceit, with violators being subject to up to five years in prison or a fine of up to 50 million won ($37,500).

Punishment for such an offense is more severe than for assault, which is punishable by up to two years in prison or a fine of up to 5 million won.

By Yoon Min-sik(minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)