Korean deaf association probed amid allegations of sexual assault involving current, former executives
Published: 02 Feb. 2026, 09:32
Updated: 02 Feb. 2026, 18:52
![A logo of police [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/02/02/0ff49422-b196-4948-8d0d-50df6e5561d7.jpg)
A logo of police [YONHAP]
Police have launched an investigation into allegations of sexual assault involving current and former executives of the Korean Association of the Deaf.
The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency conducted search and seizure operations at the association’s office in Geumcheon District, southern Seoul, as well as the home of one board member, last Thursday.
The board member is accused of sexually assaulting a deaf person in their 30s in 2022 while serving as head of the Central Support Headquarters for sign language interpretation centers, allegedly using the promise of employment as a pretext.
A former secretary general of the association has also reportedly been booked on charges of forcibly molesting the same victim.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare conducted two on-site audits of the association last October and referred four senior officials to police for investigation on suspicion of breach of trust, obstruction of business and interference with employment.
The referral included allegations involving the provision of gold bars to the former secretary general, the existence of blacklists and whitelists and organized accounting irregularities related to the World Congress of the World Federation of the Deaf. The investigation is being handled by the Seoul Geumcheon Police Precinct.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM EUN-BIN [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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