A 62-year-old man has been sentenced to 10 months in prison for cursing at and speaking violently to a nurse conducting a COVID-19 test on him, court officials said Friday.

The man was convicted of verbally abusing the 31-year-old nurse working at a COVID-19 testing center in Seoul in December 2020, telling her in a threatening way to gently push the nasal swab into his nose.

"You are a public servant, right? If I file a complaint, you'll get fired," he said, cursing at her and pounding on the acrylic screen wall separating the tester and the testee, according to court records.

The nurse has since struggled with the shock and reportedly even attempted to take her own life.

The defendant claimed he did not hurl abuse or physically hurt the victim, but the Seoul Central District Court rejected his claim.

"The victim has been devoting herself for the country and society, volunteering in Daegu early in the pandemic and working at COVID-19 testing centers ever since," the court said, noting the victim suffered heavy damage in the case. (Yonhap)