A South Korean court said Tuesday that a 70-year-old bus driver has been fined 3 million won ($2,100) for intimidation using a vehicle and of assault on another motorist, after the victim cut in front of him on the road.
The Wonju Branch of the Chuncheon District Court in Gangwon Province found the defendant guilty of violence and special intimidation -- latter being stipulated as intimidation involving collective force or a dangerous weapon -- in this case, the bus.
"(The defendant) is to be condemned for a rapid lane change that threatened the safety of not only the victim, but also the bus passengers. It was also considered that the defendant had been punished in the past for assaulting another driver, yet he committed the same crime and made no effort to undo the damage he inflicted," the court said in its ruling.
The incident occurred at around 1:48 p.m. on Nov. 17, when the victim's car cut in front of the defendant's bus. The bus driver turned on his high beams in a show of anger and drove in front of the victim's car at an intersection.
The defendant then stopped the bus in front of the victim's car, yelling profanity and making threatening gestures with his hand. He poked the victim in the face, which the court considered an act of assault.
The defendant has appealed the court's decision.
minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com
