"More Chilling Than Busan Dolleochagi" Indiscriminate Assault for Sexual Assault Purpose... Our Home Elevator Becomes a Place of Terror

A Resident of the Same Apartment Assaults a Woman in Her 20s Neighbor

A similar incident to the so-called 'Busan Roundhouse Kick' case, where a woman returning home was assaulted and sexually assaulted, occurred in Uiwang-si, Gyeonggi-do. The perpetrator repeatedly assaulted a woman in her 20s, whom he did not know, in the elevator of the apartment where he lived, with the intent to sexually assault her. As crimes targeting women in their residences, where they should feel safe, continue to occur, citizens' anxiety is increasing.

The Uiwang Police Station in Gyeonggi announced on the 6th that they had applied for an arrest warrant for Mr. A on the night of the previous day (the 5th) on charges of aggravated sexual assault. Mr. A is accused of repeatedly hitting Ms. B, a woman in her 20s, with his fist in the hallway-style apartment elevator located in Uiwang-si around 12:30 p.m. on the 5th, causing her injuries.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Mr. A pressed the button for the 12th floor and boarded the elevator where Ms. B was riding. After pressing the button to get off on the 10th floor, he assaulted Ms. B several times, and when the elevator stopped on the 10th floor, he dragged her out.

Mr. A was arrested on the spot by police who responded to a report from a resident who heard Ms. B's screams. Ms. B sustained injuries including fractured ribs and is receiving hospital treatment.

During the police investigation, Mr. A reportedly stated that he committed the crime with the intent to commit a sexual offense. It was understood that he planned to commit the crime if a woman was alone in the elevator while he was holding the elevator on the 12th floor.

It was investigated that Mr. A and Ms. B were strangers to each other. Mr. A was not attending work or school and was living alone in a house owned by his parents within the apartment complex. It was also understood that he was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the crime. However, it was confirmed that Mr. A had a prior record of punishment for attempted rape during his youth.

This incident recalls the 'Busan Roundhouse Kick' case in Seomyeon, Busan, last May, where a woman in her 20s returning home was assaulted until she lost consciousness and then sexually assaulted. However, experts explain that there are differences from the Busan Roundhouse Kick case, such as the fact that this crime was committed by a resident of the same apartment against a neighbor.

Professor Oh Yoon-sung of the Department of Police Administration at Soonchunhyang University explained on YTN Radio on the 7th, "What is common between the two cases is that the victim and perpetrator were strangers, the assault and attempted sexual assault, and that the perpetrators in both cases had prior convictions for similar crimes."

However, he said, "In the Busan case, the perpetrator said he was 'intoxicated,' whereas in the Uiwang case, he was sober. Also, in Busan, the perpetrator chased the victim at night on the street and assaulted her, but in the Uiwang case, the perpetrator was a resident of the same apartment and the incident occurred during the day. The Uiwang case is a more chilling incident for ordinary citizens."

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