Lawmaker pays fine for elderly cardboard collector

Rep. Kang Sun-woo of the liberal ruling Democratic Party of Korea speaks during a session at the National Assembly, Seoul, in this Nov. 6, 2020 photo. Yonhap

By Lee Hyo-jin

Rep. Kang Sun-woo of the liberal ruling Democratic Party of Korea has paid a fine on behalf of an elderly man collecting cardboard to make ends meet, after he was penalized for causing damage to an Audi sedan.

The 67-year-old man accidentally scratched the Audi vehicle, which was parked on a sidewalk, while dragging his handcart loaded with waste paper and folded boxes in Dong District, Daejeon, June 17, 2020. He was charged with inflicting 1 million won ($900) in property damages and put on trial.

In May of this year, the Daejeon District Court ordered the man to pay a 300,000-won fine. The court took into consideration his circumstances of suffering from financial difficulties and having a mental disability, but concluded that the fine was inevitable as the car owner wanted punishment.

Rep. Kang, who represents the constituency of Gangseo District, Seoul, offered to pay the fine for the man, according to her office.

“Having heard the story through media reports, I felt sorry for him. He is suffering from a mental disability. And I heard that he earns only 3,000 won a day if he fills up the cart with waste paper and cardboard,” Kang told local broadcaster SBS.

When asked why she had offered help the man even though he isn't a resident of her district, she said, “It would have been more difficult to offer help if he had been a resident here, as it could have been seen as a violation of the Election Law.”