Height 167cm, Weight 56kg Machangjin... Sex Offender on Electronic Ankle Bracelet Cut It Off and Fled, Publicly Wanted

Machangjin in his 50s fled from Jangheung, Jeonnam on the 21st of last month

Wanted poster image of Machangjin. Photo by Gwangju Probation Office.

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] Police have launched a public manhunt for sex offender Ma Changjin (50), who cut off his electronic tracking device (electronic anklet) and has been on the run for 12 days in Jangheung, Jeonnam.

The Gwangju Probation Office and Jangheung Police Station announced on the 31st of last month that Ma Changjin, who is suspected of violating the Act on the Attachment of Electronic Devices, is being publicly wanted.

Ma Changjin is 167 cm tall, weighs 56 kg, and has a slight build with a distinctive bow-legged gait. At the time of his escape, he was carrying an orange-toned backpack and wearing white sneakers with black stripes. On the day of his escape, he also purchased a plastic bottle of soju and chocolate.

Sex offender Ma Chang-jin, who has been on the run for 12 days after damaging his electronic tracking device (electronic anklet). Photo by Gwangju Probation Office.

Ma Changjin, who was wearing an electronic anklet due to committing sex crimes against children and adolescents, has been missing since he damaged the anklet and fled on the 21st of last month.

At around 2:10 p.m. that day, Ma Changjin left his home in Jangheung-gun, drove for about 20 minutes, then stopped his car by the roadside, cut off the electronic anklet, and fled into a nearby mountain.

The police began tracking Ma Changjin’s whereabouts through witness statements and nearby closed-circuit television (CCTV), but with no significant leads, they proceeded with a public manhunt.

The police have mobilized about 370 officers, including two companies of riot police, to search the mountain area where Ma Changjin is believed to have fled. Three drones and ten scent-tracking dogs have also been deployed.

Investigations are also ongoing with the possibility that Ma Changjin used public transportation to escape to nearby areas such as Yeongam, Hwasun, or Naju.

Meanwhile, Ma Changjin was booked at the end of last month on charges of sexually assaulting a woman in her 20s whom he knew personally.

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