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Man indicted for physically assaulting girlfriend on street in Pohang

Published: 09 May. 2025, 14:05

A man in his 30s is seen in CCTV footage assaulting a woman on a street in Buk District, Pohang, North Gyeongsang, at around 11:40 p.m. on April 21. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

A man in his 30s was indicted and taken into custody by prosecutors after he allegedly assaulted his girlfriend indiscriminately and confined her inside a motel room because she wanted to end the relationship.

Police detained the man on charges of aggravated assault and unlawful confinement and referred him to prosecutors on April 25, according to the Thursday evening current affairs program "Crime Chief" on JTBC, an affiliate of the Korea JoongAng Daily.

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The victim began dating the man — who was the owner of the restaurant where she worked — at the end of October last year. About two months into the relationship, she said he began hitting her during minor arguments.

Then, at about 11:40 p.m. on April 21, the man assaulted her on a street in Buk District, Pohang, North Gyeongsang. The reason was that she had told him she wanted to end the relationship. In CCTV footage, the man punches the woman in the face and kicks her after she collapses unconscious.

“He tapped me with his foot, telling me to get up after I passed out,” the woman said. “He dragged me by the hair to the entrance of a motel,” she added, explaining that the assault continued inside the room.

“Kneeling and crying, I begged for forgiveness, but he sat on the bed smoking and said, ‘I’m really going to kill you and go to prison, so just die,’” she recalled. “When I heard that, I thought, ‘I’m really going to die.’”

She told him, “I won’t report this, let’s go to Jeju. I’ll book the plane tickets,” to calm him down. When he seemed slightly more composed, she said she managed to escape the room barefoot by pretending she had dropped her phone outside.

She knocked on the door of a neighboring room and pleaded, “Please save me.” Another guest helped her contact the police.

After realizing the woman had disappeared, the man fled the motel but was apprehended by responding officers.

Due to the assault, the woman was diagnosed with a fractured cheekbone and other injuries requiring six weeks of recovery. She underwent surgery on Wednesday. “I’m scared he’ll come back for revenge if he’s released after the trial, since we live in the same area,” she said.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY JANG GU-SEUL [[email protected]]