Just when sighs eased over Kim Geun-sik's arrest... serial rapist 'Suwon Balbari' nearing release

Sex Offender Park Byunghwa, Who Assaulted 10 Women in Suwon Area, Scheduled for Release on 31st
Residents' Anxiety Grows... Police Preparing Enhanced Security Measures

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jeong-wan] Park Byeong-hwa (40), nicknamed the 'Suwon Balbari,' who was sentenced to 15 years in prison for sexually assaulting 10 women while roaming around the Suwon area, will be released on the 31st. The news of Park Byeong-hwa's release has heightened anxiety among residents in the crime-affected areas shortly after the release of serial child rapist Kim Geun-sik (54) was postponed due to re-arrest.

Park was arrested on charges of breaking into villas in Gwonseon-gu and Yeongtong-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do, and sexually assaulting 10 women in their 20s from December 2002 to October 2007. He was sentenced to 15 years and has been serving his sentence at Chungju Prison.

As Park's release approaches, residents in Suwon and surrounding areas where the crimes occurred are growing increasingly uneasy. In response, the police have coordinated with the Ministry of Justice and probation office to devise measures to strengthen public safety.

The police plan to establish a hotline with the probation office overseeing Park Byeong-hwa's residence to create a joint response system. The police station's Women and Youth Violent Crimes Unit will be designated as a special response team to manage security. Additionally, a crime prevention assessment will be conducted near Park Byeong-hwa's planned residence, and in cooperation with local governments, crime prevention facilities such as closed-circuit television (CCTV) will be expanded. Furthermore, patrols will be intensified using local police and riot police forces.

Minor sex offender Kim Geun-sik. Photo by Incheon Police Agency

Meanwhile, Kim, who was serving a 15-year sentence for sexually assaulting 11 minors in 2006, was scheduled to be released on the 17th but was detained by a court-issued arrest warrant the day before his release after a report was filed with the police alleging that he forcibly molested victim A, who was under 13 years old at the time, in December 2020. The Suwon District Prosecutors' Office Anyang Branch plans to indict Kim, who is charged with violating the Special Act on the Punishment of Sexual Crimes, by early November at the latest.

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