Busan Dropkick Case: Perpetrator Scores 27 on Psychopathy Test, Same as Kang Ho-sun

In the so-called "Busan Dropkick" case, in which a man assaulted a woman in her 20s whom he did not know as she was returning home, it has been revealed that the defendant's psychopathy score is at the same level as that of serial killer Kang Ho-sun.

A, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison in the appellate court for kicking the head of a woman in her 20s, whom he did not know, and repeatedly assaulting her in May last year. [Image source=JTBC broadcast screen]

According to legal sources on June 15, the perpetrator of the Busan Dropkick case, identified as A, scored 27 points on the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R). This is the same score as serial killer Kang Ho-sun, who murdered 10 people (27 points), and is higher than Lee Young-hak, known as the "Molar Daddy," who committed rape and murder against his daughter's friend (25 points).

A also received a total score of 23 points, classified as "high," on the KORAS-G, an adult recidivism risk assessment tool. Additionally, considering that A is emotionally hypersensitive and tends to react impulsively to external stimuli, his overall risk of reoffending was also assessed as "high."

The psychopathy assessment consists of 20 items with a maximum score of 40. In Korea, a score of 25 or higher is generally considered psychopathic, while in the United States, the threshold is 30. Ordinary individuals typically score around 15 points.

The highest score ever recorded on a psychopathy test in Korea was 38 points by serial killer Yoo Young-chul, who was sentenced to death. Child sex offender Cho Doo-soon received a score of 29.

Court: "Dragged the victim without a moment's hesitation"... Sentenced to 20 years in appellate court

[Image source=SBS 'Unanswered Questions']

Previously, on June 12, the Busan High Court Criminal Division 2-1 (Presiding Judge Choi Hwan) found A guilty of attempted rape and murder and sentenced him to 20 years in prison. The court also ordered the attachment of an electronic location-tracking device for 20 years and the disclosure of his personal information on the information and communications network for 10 years.

In the first trial in October last year, A was sentenced to 12 years in prison on the charge of attempted murder. However, during the appeals process, additional evidence emerged, including the discovery of A's DNA on the victim's jeans, leading to the indictment being changed to attempted rape and murder.

The appellate court found A guilty of attempted rape and murder, stating, "The defendant committed the crime using the victim as a means for a sexual offense."

The court continued, "He targeted a stranger as an object of sexual desire, kicked and stomped only on her head, dragged the victim without a moment's hesitation, and attempted to commit a sexual crime against the victim, who was bleeding profusely."

The court also stated, "Even if there was no definite foresight, there is deemed to be conditional intent, as the defendant could have foreseen that the victim might die as a result of his assault or the subsequent sexual offense."

Meanwhile, the victim recently appeared on a radio program and expressed her anxiety, stating that A has been openly talking about 'revenge' to fellow inmates at Busan Detention Center and memorizing her personal information. The victim said, "I heard that the perpetrator keeps saying, 'I'll break out and beat her to death.' That comment was chilling."

In response, the Ministry of Justice announced that it would strengthen special monitoring of A and make efforts to prevent retaliatory crimes.

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