William Tell and the study of medieval occidental weaponry are not topics high on the curriculum in South Korea. But when an upset Korean maths teacher plotted revenge, only a crossbow would do.
Myung-ho Kim, aged 50, was sacked in 1996 and tried to appeal on several occasions against his dismissal. When high court judge Hong-woo Park turned down his final appeal last year, Kim took matters into his own hands. He decided to fire an “arrow of truth” at the justice, hiding outside his home with a crossbow to do it.
Fortunately for the judge, the maths teacher miscalculated the angle. The bolt cut Mr Park’s stomach, but was not fatal.
The event upset Korea’s judiciary, which called the attack “an affront to the authority of law” and led them to demand greater protection from the public.
After nearly a decade of waiting for the courts, Kim’s criminal case was handled far more speedily. He was sentenced and jailed less than a week after the assault.
