Supreme Court upholds demotion of Busan police officer for misconduct

The Supreme Court of Korea has upheld the demotion of a police officer in Busan who engaged in multiple instances of misconduct. The officer, a sergeant, was disciplined in 2023 for five reasons, including inappropriate behavior, violating orders, coercing a complainant to withdraw a civil complaint, workplace bullying, and negligence of duty.

The officer had contacted a complainant approximately 20 times via phone and text to demand the withdrawal of a complaint, defying direct orders from superiors to cease contact. Additionally, while on patrol, the officer repeatedly expressed romantic interest to a cafe owner using a sketchbook, continuing the behavior even after the owner expressed refusal.

While a lower court previously ruled that the demotion was excessive and ordered it to be canceled, the Supreme Court overturned that decision. The court ruled that the officer's actions, particularly the coercion regarding the complaint and the inappropriate conduct toward the cafe owner, seriously damaged public trust and police discipline. The court clarified that even if some disciplinary grounds are not recognized, a punishment can be upheld if the remaining valid grounds are sufficient to justify the severity of the measure. The case has been remanded to the Busan High Court.