A court has ruled that it was legitimate to dismiss a train manager who took cash and a luxury wallet left behind by a passenger on a high-speed train.
While checking for remaining passengers and lost items on the train, SRT Train Manager A received a lost item that had been found by a cleaner.
Inside the bag were a luxury designer wallet, wireless earphones, credit cards, and cash equivalent to 1.25 million won.
However, instead of handing the items over to the lost and found center, Manager A took them home and even initially denied having found them during a police investigation the next day, according to findings.
Later, Manager A stated, "I wanted to give it as a gift to my wife," and "My greed clouded my judgment."
Manager A was referred to the prosecution on embezzlement charges, but received a suspension of indictment considering that it was a first offense and that a settlement had been reached with the victim.
Subsequently, the company dismissed Manager A, who then filed a lawsuit claiming the disciplinary action was excessively severe.
However, the court viewed the severity of the misconduct as heavy, noting that Manager A exploited the authority to manage lost items for personal gain and initially even denied acquiring them.
Considering that company regulations allowed for even harsher disciplinary dismissal, the court sided with the company, ruling that the termination was not excessive.
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