Supreme Court upholds cop’s firing for bribery

During a traffic stop, cop asked driver for $10

South Korea’s top court upheld a ruling that said a police officer, who asked for a bribe from a motorist for 10,000 won (US$10), should be fired.

In June 2005, the 39-year-old former police officer, who is only identified by his surname, Yun, ordered a car to stop after it violated a traffic signal.

As the car’s driver appealed for leniency, Yun demanded 10,000 won to help him buy cigarettes, telling the driver how to hand him the money without being noticed.

However, Yun was arrested after a fellow passenger reported his name on charges of bribery. In August, Yun was fired.

Yun filed an administrative complaint against his former district police station in Busan. A district court in Busan rejected the complaint in March last year, but a higher court ruled in favor of Yun, saying that the bribe was too small to merit his dismissal. The case went to the Supreme Court, which rejected the second court’s ruling on January 2, saying it was the correct decision to fire Yun, as he had aggressively requested money and then instructed the driver on how to give him the bribe undetected, even if the bribe was for a small amount.

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