SEOUL, Nov 27 A 31-year-old South Korean man was fined for shouting racial slurs at a foreigner, a court said Friday, in a landmark ruling that has attracted widespread media attention.

The man, identified only by his surname Park, was ordered to pay one million won ($865) for calling an Indian researcher “dirty and smelly” on a bus in July, the Incheon District Court said.

The case marks the first time that a South Korean has been convicted for using racial slurs.

“I hope my case will provide a chance for South Korea to start debating deep-rooted racism,” the Indian, identified as Bonojit Hussain, told Yonhap news agency.

South Korea — which has a rapidly expanding foreign population — has no laws that specifically ban racial slurs and prosecutors decided to press a “personal insult” charge against Park.

Hussain, who is a labour rights activist in India, filed complaints against Park, who has admitted to calling him names.

“It is acknowledged that the accused hurled racial abuse, causing the complainant to feel insulted,” the court said in a statement.

Following the incident, human rights activists have pushed for a specific bill to ban racial abuse of foreigners.

“We are ashamed to read newspaper reports that a drunken Korean man shouted racial slurs at a foreign scholar on the bus,” Seoul National University professor Kim Seong-Kon said in an article in the Korea Herald last week.

“We say that only a few Koreans are racist. Yet (Hussain) does not agree with the optimistic assumption,” he added.

Hussain said Park, who had been drinking alcohol, kicked and insulted Hussain's female Korean companion on the bus, as other passengers tried to restrain Park.—AFP