Asia-Pacific

SKorean fined for insulting Indian in racial case

(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-11-27 16:13

SEOUL, South Korea: A South Korean court convicted a man of insulting an Indian professor, a judge said Friday, in what is seen as the country's first punishment of racist remarks against a foreigner.

The 31-year-old South Korean used an expletive and said "Arab! Arab!" to Bonogit Hussain, 27, in July for talking loudly in the bus they were riding in, Judge Cho Chan-young said.

The judge said the remarks merited punishment because Hussain felt publicly insulted.

The court in Bucheon, west of Seoul, fined the defendant, identified by his surname, Park, 1 million won (US$860) in Thursday's ruling. South Korea's criminal code calls for up to one year in prison and 2 million won in fines for public insult.

Local media said Park also told Hussain that Arabs were dirty and smelly. They said the case was the country's first punishment of racist comments to a foreigner.

Hussain's case drew attention in South Korea, where ethnic homogeneity has been considered a matter of pride. Such perceptions have been fading as a growing number of South Koreans have married foreigners and the number of migrant workers has risen.

Still, prejudice against foreigners, especially those from poorer nations in Southeast Asia, is considered strong, and migrant workers often complain of abuses and unfair treatment at their workplaces.

Hussain, who came to South Korea in 2007, earned a master's degree from Seoul's SungKongHoe University and worked there as a research professor before returning to India in late October, the school said.