A Gangwon Yangyang County public official accused of power abuse against sanitation workers has been arrested.
On the 5th, Bae Da-heon, a warrant judge at the Sokcho branch of the Chuncheon District Court, issued an arrest warrant for A, a grade-7 driver-level public official affiliated with Yangyang County, who was sought on charges including coercion, assault, intimidation and insult.
The substantive warrant review began at 2 p.m. that day and lasted about 30 minutes. Judge Bae decided to issue the warrant, determining there was a risk of evidence destruction and flight.
A, who appeared in court at about 1:25 p.m. that day, did not answer questions from reporters such as "Do you still think it was a joke?" A pulled down a padded hood and wore a mask, completely covering the face.
A is accused of workplace bullying, including 60 counts of coercion, 60 counts of assault, 10 counts of intimidation and 7 counts of insult against three sanitation workers employed as public service workers and fixed-term employees.
In particular, while playing what was called "martial law play," A allegedly made the sanitation workers assault each other, started off without letting them board the garbage truck to make them run, and forced them to wear underwear of a specific color.
Police, who booked A on charges of coercion, conducted searches and seizures on three locations on the 27th of last month, including Yangyang County Office and the official's residence and workplace. After completing the first summons investigation on the 2nd, police applied for an arrest warrant on the 3rd.
Yangyang County has suspended A from duty, and investigations by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL) are also reportedly underway.