Inappropriate affair

Another example of why the South Korean justice system is insane.

A local court has ordered a ward office in North Jeolla Province to annul its decision to dismiss a civil servant for having an affair with a female worker during work hours.

The unidentified public servant left his office with the female junior worker around 4 p.m. Aug. 16 in 2007 to drink. They went to a motel afterward, where her husband caught them.

The civil servant filed the suit after the ward office dismissed him for not maintaining his integrity as a public worker and leaving his office during work hours.

``He left his office about two hours before work had finished, which did not disturb the office. An official reprimand would have served as an appropriate punishment,'' the court said.

``He may face social and ethical criticism for having an affair with his junior. But he is a civil servant of a local ward office, whose duties do not include high-mindedness in private, so a wage cut may be also be due punishment,'' it added.

The court said the total punishment shouldn't be heavier than ``suspension from duty,'' saying dismissal was too harsh.

So getting fired for screwing around with a married co-worker isn't grounds for dismissal. Maybe the guy should ask for a raise!

One shouldn't be surprised by this decision. After all this is the same country that gave barely 10 years in jail to the person responsible for killing 500 people. Another judge gave suspended sentences to people who raped a family member. South Korea or Broward County Florida, which has the most broken justice system?

Hat tip- Robert Koehler at Marmot's Hole