Korean man gets arrested at Grand Canyon for slapping his son

March 18, 2014

A Korean man who slapped his son while touring the Grand Canyon has been arrested on charges of assault.

Choi, 45, was on vacation with his family at the Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona on March 10 when he was taken in by a park ranger after he slapped his 15-year-old son on the cheek three times.

According to park authorities, the ranger was on patrol when he saw Choi and his son having an argument before the slaps began. Choi told the ranger he hit his son because he wouldn’t listen to him.

Choi’s wife and son confirmed that Choi hits his son on a regular basis, the ranger said in his report.

Experts say some Korean parents tend to ignore U.S. laws against corporal punishment, as it is a common parenting technique in Korea.

The police and child protective services get involved if students show up with punishment-inflicted wounds at school, a family problems expert said. They said it is best to stop disciplining children through corporal punishment, as parents could face criminal charges or even have their child taken away.