Police Officer Suffers Broken Nose from Punch: Are Violations of Public Authority Unstoppable?

[Anchor]

A drunk man assaulted a police officer, leaving him with a broken nose. Criticisms are growing that despite a steady increase in violations of public authority, punishments remain too lenient.

Reporter Choi Hyuk-gyu from KNN.

[Reporter]

A drunk man in his 40s is escorted with the support of police officers.

Though urged to go home, he sits down on the ground and causes a disturbance.

When officers attempt to issue a fine for the ongoing disruption, he suddenly throws a punch.

The officer collapses on the spot, and surrounding police immediately subdue individual A.

This is the scene of the incident.

Police were dispatched following a report from a business owner that individual A was causing a disturbance at the establishment.

[Official at Damaged Business: He wasn't our customer, but he came into our shop....]

The assaulted officer was a probationary constable in his 20s who had recently been appointed.

Having suffered a fractured nose requiring surgery, he inevitably faces nearly two months of sick leave.

Police are investigating the man in custody on charges of obstruction of official duties resulting in injury.

Crimes challenging public authority continue to occur consecutively, including a recent incident in Busan where a man in his 50s was arrested for threatening police with a nail gun used for construction work.

In Busan and South Gyeongsang Province alone, about 1,300 individuals are booked for obstructing official duties every year, and around 20 cases of special obstruction of official duties resulting in injury involving weapons occur annually.

Within the police force, critics point out that punishments such as fines are too weak, lacking practical effectiveness in preventing violations of public authority.

[Choi Hong-seok / President of South Gyeongsang Provincial Police Agency Workplace Council: In actual fieldwork, quite a few cases end with fines or suspended sentences.... Particularly, responsibility is mitigated or acts are perceived as simply impulsive under the pretext of being in a state of intoxication....]

In particular, there are loud calls for the urgent establishment of practical support systems, including legal assistance and psychological recovery programs, for police officers who suffer harm from the obstruction of official duties.

(Photo: KNN, Video by Park Young-jun / KNN)

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