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Notorious child sex offender ordered to undergo monthlong psychiatric evaluation

Published: 05 Jun. 2025, 12:23

Child rapist Cho Doo-soon speaks to reporters after a trial at the Ansan branch of the Suwon District Prosecutors’ Office in Danwon District, Ansan, Gyeonggi, on March 11, 2024. [NEWS1]

A local court ordered Cho Doo-soon, a convicted child sex offender, to undergo a monthlong psychiatric evaluation, citing concerns over his recent behavior.

The Ansan branch of the Suwon District Court issued the confinement order following a request from the Ansan Probation Office, according to a Newsis report on Wednesday.

Officials said Cho had shown abnormal behavior that warranted a formal psychiatric assessment. The court's decision will place him at the state-run Institute of Forensic Psychiatry in Gongju, Gyeonggi, for approximately one month.

Under Korean law, such confinement allows authorities to detain an individual at a medical facility for a set period to assess their mental or physical condition.

Cho was convicted of abducting and sexually assaulting an elementary school girl near a church in Ansan, Gyeonggi, in December 2008. He received a 12-year prison sentence and was released on Dec. 12, 2020. Since then, he has been living with his wife in Danwon District, Ansan.

In December 2023, a court sentenced him to an additional three months in prison for leaving his residence without permission, violating court-imposed restrictions. He reportedly left his home without authorization again in April and May this year, but returned after intervention by probation officers monitoring him.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY KIM EUN-BIN [[email protected]]