A private security guard in his 40s, who controversially over-secured actor Byun Woo-seok by shining a flash at airport passengers and inspecting airline tickets, has been fined.
According to the legal community on the 2nd, the Incheon District Court's Criminal Division 6, Judge Shin Heung-ho, sentenced A (44) and security company B to a fine of 1 million won each for violating the Security Business Act.
A and others were charged with actions that exceeded the scope of security duties while escorting Byun Woo-seok, who was departing for an Asia fan meeting tour in Hong Kong on July 12 last year, by demonstrating power over other passengers at Incheon Airport.
It was investigated that he shone a strong flash light towards the faces of other passengers while following Byun Woo-seok. Additionally, when fans gathered, the private security guards controlled the gate.
The court stated, “Shining a light constitutes the use of physical force and does not fall within the scope of security duties,” and explained, “The person being secured did not use the airport discreetly to avoid those following him but publicly carried out his schedule.”
It added, “If the purpose of the actions at that time was to prevent the subject from being filmed, he could have kept his schedule secret and moved to a location without people while covering his face with a hat and mask,” and noted, “Even with such measures, if filming occurred, actions could have been taken to shield the subject.”
Furthermore, it stated, “The subject was rather exposing his schedule and moved through places where fans gathered as if having a 'fan meeting,'” and concluded that “shining light at people who posed no significant risk due to mobile phone filming stimulated their visual organs.”
However, it noted, “The defendant appears to have not engaged in such actions prior to this incident and has vowed not to do so again,” and considered that “there is no prior record of being punished for similar offenses” in determining the sentence.
Meanwhile, after the controversy over Byun Woo-seok's excessive security arose last year, his agency, Baro Entertainment, issued an official statement apologizing, saying, “We feel a moral responsibility for the unfortunate events that occurred during the security process.”
[Kim So-yeon, Star Today Reporter]
