Shocking Sillim-dong Incident... "It's Not a Random Crime"

Professor Lee Chang-min of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, SBS Radio Interview
Sexual crimes with clear motives excluded from random crimes
"No proven link to economic recession"

Professor Lee Chang-min of the Convergence Japanese Regional Studies Department at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies pointed out that the sexual assault incident that occurred in a park in Sillim-dong, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, is not a random crime, emphasizing factors such as 'economic hardship' and 'social isolation.' The man in his 30s accused of assaulting and sexually assaulting the victim on a secluded path in the park had no prior acquaintance with the victim.

Professor Lee appeared on SBS Radio's 'Kim Tae-hyun's Political Show' and explained, "There is no clear or agreed-upon definition of random crimes in our country, but we can refer to the 2014 report published by the Korea Institute of Criminology titled 'Understanding the Characteristics of Random Crime Offenders and Response Measures.'"

He added, "Sexual violence crimes have a clear primary motive from the perpetrator's perspective, which is sexual desire satisfaction. Usually, random crimes refer to incidents with unclear motives, so sexual crimes like the Sillim-dong sexual assault case are excluded from random crimes."

In Japan, random crimes have been recognized as a social issue for over 40 years. These are known as 'Toorima crimes.' Professor Lee explained, "In 1981, the Japanese National Police Agency first defined the concept of Toorima crimes," and described the four characteristics of Toorima crimes.

▲ The crime occurs in crowded places ▲ The motive is unclear ▲ The target is unspecified ▲ Harm is inflicted using weapons such as knives. According to Professor Lee, sexual crimes are also not classified as Toorima crimes in Japan.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Referring to Japanese statistics, no correlation has been established between random crimes and economic recessions. Professor Lee said, "In 2008, when the global financial crisis occurred, there were 14 Toorima crimes, which is twice the usual number (an annual average of 6 to 7 cases). However, that does not mean that Toorima murders increase every time there is an economic downturn."

He further pointed out that analyzing perpetrators of Toorima crimes commonly reveals economic hardship and social isolation. Professor Lee explained, "The most famous Toorima incident in Japan is the Akihabara Toorima incident in June 2008. The perpetrator was a temporary worker, in other words, a non-regular employee, who was coincidentally fired just before the crime." He added, "Although the perpetrator stated in court that being fired was not the direct motive for the crime, there is an analysis that dissatisfaction with society grew as he experienced economic hardship due to the inability to find a proper job."

Professor Lee said, "Also, the perpetrator had poor relationships with friends during school life and experienced conflicts with colleagues at work, leading to social isolation. Until just before the crime, he had no romantic partner or even friends or coworkers with whom he could confide, communicating with society solely by posting on internet forums."

This is also reflected in statistics. Professor Lee said, "According to a 2013 study by the Japanese Ministry of Justice, most Toorima murder offenders were men in their 20s and 30s," adding, "At the time of the crime, 80% were unemployed, and 16% were non-regular workers. In other words, a total of 96% were effectively experiencing economic hardship."

He continued, "Regarding education level, 63.5% were middle school graduates, and 19.5% were high school graduates, indicating many had low educational attainment or had dropped out due to school refusal. More than 90% had no spouse, romantic partner, or close friends, suggesting psychological and emotional isolation."

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