Man in 20s booked for assaulting taxi driver over presidential vote question

A man in his 20s has been booked by police in Busan for allegedly assaulting a taxi driver after asking who he voted for in the June 3 presidential election.

The Gangseo Police Station in Busan said on Tuesday that the suspect, identified as A, is under investigation for attacking a taxi driver in his 40s. The incident occurred around 5:40 a.m. the previous day in Daejeo-dong, Gangseo District.

A is accused of knocking the driver to the ground and striking him in the head with his knee and a mobile phone, causing injury. He was intoxicated at the time and also verbally abused the driver and shook the front seat while inside the taxi, interfering with his driving.

According to KNN, a Busan-based media outlet, the altercation began when A boarded the taxi and abruptly asked, “Who did you vote for in the presidential election?”

When the driver responded, “I don’t know much about politics,” the suspect began swearing and shaking the front seat. Even after the driver exited the vehicle and called police, A continued the assault on the road.

Police are continuing their investigation into the incident.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, a sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.