In November, 'That Guy' Returns... Kim Geun-sik Followed by Park Byung-hwa's Imminent Release

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] Following the re-arrest of the 'child sex offender' Kim Geun-sik (54) just before his release, another serial rapist is also approaching release, drawing attention. This is Park Byung-hwa (39), known as the so-called 'Suwon Balbari,' who terrorized women living in the Gyeonggi-do area.

According to the legal community on the 23rd, Park Byung-hwa, currently serving time at Chungju Prison, will complete his sentence and be released on the 5th of next month. Between 2005 and 2007, he committed eight sexual crimes against women in their 20s in the Suwon city area. Investigations revealed that he targeted women living alone in one-room apartments or those returning home late. After being caught by the police and brought to trial, he was sentenced to 15 years in prison in the first trial on January 2008, but the sentence was reduced to 11 years in the second trial. This ruling was upheld by the Supreme Court. Subsequently, DNA analysis uncovered two additional crimes, extending his sentence by four more years.

Photo by Asia Economy DB

Park Byung-hwa is reportedly hoping to live in a probation facility after his release. As concerns grew in Suwon and other parts of Gyeonggi-do, Governor Kim Dong-yeon of Gyeonggi Province stated at the National Assembly inspection on the 18th, "I requested the Minister of Justice to establish criteria for where they will reside." He added, "Kim Geun-sik lived near an elementary school. (Regarding Park Byung-hwa's case) we will consider the local situation carefully and consult accordingly."

With high-risk sex offenders being released one after another, the Ministry of Justice has urgently begun preparing countermeasures. On the 21st, Minister of Justice Han Dong-hoon instructed relevant departments to "actively support the National Assembly's discussion on the amendment of the 'Act on the Development of the Living Logistics Service Industry,' which restricts employment in delivery services for sex offenders, including delivery app workers and substitute drivers."

The Ministry of Justice also added, "We have strengthened the management of statistics on electronic monitoring device wearers by further subdividing employment statistics in delivery services and commissioned a research project on 'Measures to Prevent Recidivism of High-Risk Sex Offenders.'"

Furthermore, "We plan to amend the law on electronic monitoring devices so that the monitoring period is suspended if the wearer is imprisoned for crimes committed before the device was attached. We also plan to request the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, the responsible department, to amend the Juvenile Sex Protection Act so that the disclosure period of personal information is suspended if a sex offender is re-imprisoned for another crime after release."

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