Home > National > Social Affairs

Woman who assaulted caregiver that shaved mother's hair receives suspended fine

Published: 11 Mar. 2026, 09:52 Updated: 11 Mar. 2026, 10:20

A flag flies in front of the Busan District Court in Busan in this file photo. [YONHAP]

A local court handed a suspended fine to a woman for the assault of a hospital caregiver who shaved off her mother's hair because it was "difficult to wash."

The caregiver also performed the act while the woman's mother was unconscious.

The Busan District Court sentenced the woman, who had been indicted on charges of aggravated assault, to a fine of 1.5 million won ($1,020) with a one-year suspension, according to the legal community on Tuesday.

The woman was accused of assaulting the caregiver at a hospital in Jung District, Busan, at around 2:30 p.m. on April 4, 2024.

The caregiver shaved the head of the woman’s mother, who was receiving care at the hospital, without the guardian’s consent, claiming it was difficult to wash the patient’s hair because she was unconscious.

The incident occurred when the woman confronted the caregiver over the shaving incident.

During the confrontation, the woman grabbed the caregiver by the hair and shook her while saying, “I’ll cut yours the same way.” The woman was reportedly holding scissors at the time.

“Considering the degree of violence, the matter is not minor,” the court said. “However, it occurred during a confrontation related to the defendant’s mother, so there are aspects that warrant some consideration.”

“We have also taken into account the fact that when the caregiver was indicted over the shaving incident, the defendant submitted a statement saying the caregiver should not be punished,” the court said.

The caregiver later received a suspended fine.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JANG GU-SEUL [[email protected]]