Police officer arrested on suspicion of groping woman at restaurant despite force-wide ban on social gatherings

A serving police officer has been arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting a woman at a restaurant.

The Seoul Dongjak Police Station arrested a male inspector in his 50s, identified only by the surname initial A, who is attached to a local precinct under the Seoul Yongsan Police Station's jurisdiction, and is currently investigating the case, according to Yonhap.

Inspector A is suspected of making unwanted physical contact with a woman at a restaurant in Dongjak-gu, Seoul, on Thursday. He was arrested at the scene in the act.

The Korean National Police Agency had already issued a "special disciplinary alert" running from Aug. 28 to Sept. 6 in response to a string of misconduct cases, including a recent incident in Jeju in which an officer falsely closed a missing-persons case without verifying the missing person's safety.

During the alert period, officers are banned from all group dining and required to refrain from drinking. Events are also to be avoided or postponed wherever possible.