Taiwanese comedian launches campaign after injury in Korean hotel
2013/10/05 21:20:41
Taipei, Oct. 5 (CNA) Taiwanese comedian Kuo Tzu-chien launched a petition Saturday, his response to a South Korean court's rejection of his claim for damages from a Seoul hotel where he suffered severe burns due to a malfunctioning water boiler.
Backed by the Taiwan Victim Human Rights Association, the 49-year-old aims to collect 10,000 signatures to demand justice over the incident and prevent similar situations cropping up for tourists in the future, he said.
"As a victim, I would like to share my painful experience and urge anyone facing a similar situation in the future to report to local police immediately," Kuo said.
He stressed that he was not trying to stir up anti-Korean sentiment, but rather "to protest the irresponsible behavior of the hotel and the bias of the Korean court."
The entertainer says he suffered burns over 80 percent of his left thigh early last year from scalding water leaking spilled out of a hot water pot at the high-end Ramada Hotel and Suites Seoul Namdaemun.
Kuo was offered NT$80,000 (US$2,729) by the hotel to cover his medical costs, but a suit demanding NT$7.8 million in compensation was dismissed by a South Korean court, which suggested that his claims may have been fraudulent.
His injuries caused him to lose an estimated NT$500,000 from cancelled projects during his subsequent 20-some days of recovery, he said.
Calling the court's charges of fraud insulting, he said that he will continue appealing "until justice is served."
Kuo's petition was endorsed by over 2,000 people, including lawmakers and celebrities, in just two hours, according to the Taiwan Victim Human Rights Association.
(By Chang Ming-kun and Maia Huang)
