A man in his 30s holding his 21-month-old child was assaulted after asking a man smoking near an apartment complex playground to put out his cigarette, in a case that has only now come to light.
According to JTBC's "Incident Desk" on the 3rd, a man in his 30s identified as A, who lives in an apartment complex in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, went to the playground inside the complex with his wife and 21-month-old child on Aug. 25. A neighbor and a 23-month-old child were also there at the time.
A man estimated to be in his 60s or 70s then began smoking about 5 meters away. A asked him to smoke in a designated smoking area, but the man refused.
When A tried to record the man smoking on his mobile phone to report him to police, the man began chasing A while still holding the cigarette. A, carrying his child, fled into the playground to get away.
"I was holding my child and my phone when the man suddenly charged at me," A said. "I ran about 200 meters while carrying my child, and I kept circling the playground equipment to avoid being caught."
A was eventually caught inside the playground and handed the child to his wife. The man then grabbed A by the front of his shirt and repeatedly shoved and pulled him. A said he only defended himself without striking back, taking into account the man's age.
The man pushed A to the ground and fell with him while still holding onto his collar. A neighbor approached and tried to intervene, but the man continued to grip A's clothing and would not let go.
A visited a hospital the following day and was diagnosed with sprains to his shoulder, lower back and fingers requiring 20 days of treatment. He was hospitalized for more than two weeks. The man also made threatening remarks, A said. Before police arrived, the man asked A which building he lived in and then threatened him, saying, "You said you live in Building XXX. I'll set your home on fire."
A also said his child has shown signs of distress since the incident, waking up startled from sleep and bursting into tears when an older man comes near.
Police concluded it would be difficult to apply charges of violating the Child Welfare Act because surveillance footage did not clearly show the child crying or frightened. The man was referred to prosecutors on charges of assault causing bodily injury only.
