"Kim Geun-sik, accused of sexually assaulting 11 minors, nearing release... Relevant ministries say 'Exact date cannot be disclosed'"

Since May 2006 until August of the same year, Kim Geun-sik, who was charged with the serial sexual assault of 11 female students aged 9 to 17 in Incheon and the Gyeonggi area, is currently serving a 15-year prison sentence.
[Photo by KBS News Capture]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] Kim Geun-sik (53), who was sentenced to 15 years in prison for sexually assaulting 11 minors, is approaching his release, raising concerns among citizens.

Kim Geun-sik, who was indicted for the serial sexual assault of 11 elementary, middle, and high school girls aged 9 to 17 in Incheon and the Gyeonggi area from May to August 2006, is currently serving a 15-year prison sentence. Notably, he had previously been sentenced to 5 years and 6 months in prison in 2000 for sexually assaulting minors, but committed a crime against a 9-year-old elementary school student just 16 days after his release.

At that time, Kim Geun-sik reportedly lured victims by asking for help carrying heavy loads, then put them in a van and took them to secluded places where he beat and sexually assaulted them. He claimed that due to a sexual complex, he had difficulty having normal sexual relations with adult women, which led him to commit crimes against young victims.

After his last crime, Kim Geun-sik fled to the Philippines using his younger brother’s passport. When it became difficult to secure a hideout, he returned to Korea and wandered around motels in Seoul before surrendering the day after the police issued a public warrant in September 2006.

At the time, the Incheon District Court stated, "Given that he committed another sex crime just 16 days after completing his sentence, there appears to be no possibility of rehabilitation. Considering the physical and psychological trauma and pain the victims will carry for life, the defendant should be isolated from society permanently."

However, the court also noted, "Since the police made it difficult for him to escape by publicly revealing his real name and the case and issuing a warrant, and he surrendered, confessed to the crime after arrest, and cooperated with the investigation, these factors were taken into account in sentencing."

Although it was initially reported that Kim Geun-sik would be released in September this year, confirmation from related ministries revealed that his release date is next year. On the 9th, a Ministry of Gender Equality and Family official stated, "After confirming with the Ministry of Justice, it is not true that Kim Geun-sik will be released this September. We cannot disclose the exact date, but it is understood to be by the end of next year." A Ministry of Justice official also said, "The exact release date is personal information and cannot be disclosed."

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family plans to identify and register Kim Geun-sik’s personal information for public disclosure as a subject of personal information registration. According to relevant laws, the decision to register personal information must be made within one month after the completion of the sentence, and the registration decision will be made comprehensively considering the risk of recidivism.

Meanwhile, netizens who heard the news of Kim Geun-sik’s release reacted with comments such as, "He sexually assaulted 11 minors and is being released back into society," "Why is the sentence only 15 years?" "How can we trust and release someone who committed the same crime just 16 days after release?" "This case should be handled with as much attention as Jo Doo-soon’s, and thorough investigations must be conducted to protect victims," and "Legal measures must be taken to prevent recidivism."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.