Former national football team goalkeeper Kim Young Kwang has been cleared of retaliatory driving charges after a black box video of his driving went public — but the court of public opinion is still arguing about it.
According to MyDaily, a taxi driver filed a report in March claiming he was subjected to retaliatory driving by a white SUV near a tunnel in Seoul’s Mapo-gu. SBS “8 News” picked up the story on the 8th, and the driver was later identified as Kim Young Kwang. The video shows the SUV accelerating after the taxi cut ahead turning right toward the tunnel, then overtaking inside the tunnel and changing lanes in front. The driver said the SUV roared past him and cut him off, and kept driving in a threatening manner even after he flashed his high beams.
Police investigated Kim for making special threats using a vehicle. In June, they concluded there was insufficient evidence that his driving was intentional retaliation and declined to forward the case. The taxi driver appealed, but prosecutors reached the same conclusion: it could not be clearly shown that he intended to harm the other driver.
On the 9th, Kim addressed the incident on social media: “I sincerely cooperated with the police investigation, and I have received a dismissal and a finding of no charges. Momentary judgment must never come before safety.”
He added that regardless of the legal ruling, he takes seriously that his driving style could have caused anxiety for others, and vowed to examine his driving habits more strictly. Some experts who reviewed the footage still dispute the official call, citing the insufficient following distance and missing turn signals.
