A man in his 60s, initially referred to prosecutors on simple obstruction of business charges, has been indicted and detained after a supplementary investigation revealed a pattern of retaliatory threats and stalking targeting a restaurant owner.
The Criminal Division 1 of the Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office (led by Senior Prosecutor Hwang Su-yeon) announced Thursday that it indicted and detained suspect A, a man in his 60s, on charges of violating the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes (retaliatory intimidation) and the Anti-Stalking Act.
Police had originally referred the case solely on charges of obstructing business at a restaurant in Seoul's Eunpyeong district. However, the supplementary prosecution investigation uncovered more serious offenses. According to prosecutors, A disrupted the restaurant's operations while intoxicated in September last year, prompting a police report. The following month, in October, the case was referred to prosecutors on obstruction of business charges.
The suspect was found to have visited the restaurant six more times after the initial police report was filed, threatening the owner and engaging in repeated stalking. Prosecutors confirmed the details through victim interviews and analysis of nearby CCTV footage.
The investigation team secured the victim's personal safety and obtained a provisional restraining order from the court. However, when A ignored the court's order and assaulted the victim again, prosecutors added the additional charges. They then directly detained A, physically separating him from the victim entirely.
Prosecutors said they referred the case to the Seoul Western Victim Support Center and took measures to ensure substantive recovery for the victim. "We will continue to respond swiftly and strictly to retaliatory crimes and stalking," a prosecution official stressed.