A leader of a disability rights group charged with obstructing bus operations during a rally calling for guaranteed mobility rights for people with disabilities was fined.
The Cheongju District Court Criminal Division 2 single judge panel (Presiding Judge Im Jin-su) said on the 21st it sentenced A, a co-representative in their 50s of the Sejong Solidarity for the Elimination of Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities, who was indicted on a charge of business obstruction, to a fine of 1 million won.
A was brought to trial on a charge of preventing passengers from boarding a bus that was stopped at a bus stop in front of KTX Osong Station in Heungdeok District, Cheongju, at about 3 p.m. on Mar. 26, 2021. A was said to have connected a chain to the body and sat in the doorway of the bus.
A was found to have acted this way in the course of demanding guarantees of mobility rights for people with disabilities. In court, A said it was "a legitimate act that can be done during a rally."
However, the court said, "Even if we respect the defendant's claim, considering the circumstances of the act and the extent of the harm, it is difficult to see it as a legitimate act," adding, "We determined the sentence by considering the circumstances of the crime and the defendant's age."