Arrest of Director of ‘Saekdongwon’ Facility on Charges of Sexual Assault and Abuse of Disabled Residents

The director of ‘Saekdongwon’, a residential facility for severely disabled individuals in Ganghwa, Incheon, has been arrested before being brought to trial on charges of sexually abusing and assaulting residents.

On the 19th, Chief Judge Nam Se-jin of the Seoul Central District Court issued an arrest warrant for Mr. Kim, the director, who is facing charges of rape and sexual assault against disabled individuals under the Sexual Violence Punishment Act and violations of the Welfare of Disabled Persons Act. Judge Nam stated, “There is a concern that evidence may be destroyed or that he may flee,” as the reason for issuing the warrant. However, the warrant for staff member A, who was also charged, was dismissed due to a lower necessity for arrest.

Director Kim is accused of forcing female disabled residents to engage in sexual intercourse or similar acts under the pretext of life guidance. So far, the investigation has identified at least 6 specific victims.

The police investigation began in May last year as an inquiry and led to a search of the facility in September of the same year. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency established the ‘Special Investigation Team for the Saekdongwon Case’ last month and is expanding the investigation by conducting a comprehensive survey of all 87 disabled individuals who passed through the facility and 152 staff members.

In a prior in-depth investigation conducted by Ganghwa, it was reported that a total of 19 individuals, including current and former residents, stated that they had suffered sexual abuse. It is said that the police submitted key evidence supporting the criminal facts, including the obstetric and gynaecological medical records of those identified as victims, to the court during the warrant review.

After the hearing that afternoon, Mr. Kim remained silent when asked by reporters, “Do you admit to the charges?” and “Do you have anything to say to the victims?” as he got into the transport vehicle.

With Mr. Kim’s custody secured, the police plan to interrogate him about the specific circumstances of the crimes and focus on investigating any additional victimization that may emerge during the comprehensive survey process.