Police Question Head of Saekdongwon Facility for 6 Hours Over Sexual Assault Allegations

Police have re-summoned the head of Saekdongwon, a residential facility for people with severe disabilities in Incheon, who is at the center of sexual violence allegations.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Saekdongwon Special Investigation Unit questioned facility director Kim, surnamed only, for approximately six hours starting at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, pressing charges of sexual abuse. When Kim emerged from the interrogation room at around 7:07 p.m., he left without answering reporters' questions asking whether he admitted to the sexual assault charges and whether he agreed with the report stating 19 people were victimized.

Kim is accused of forcing female residents with disabilities at Saekdongwon into sexual intercourse or coercing them into similar sexual acts. An in-depth investigation report commissioned by Incheon's Ganghwa County to a university contained testimonies that 19 women in their 30s to 60s—17 current residents and 2 former residents—suffered sexual abuse.

Police have identified six of them as victims, and the number is expected to increase as the investigation progresses. Police conducted a search and seizure at Saekdongwon in September last year, imposed a travel ban on Kim, and have been interviewing 20 female residents with disabilities who lived at the facility until last month. Additionally, following an urgent directive from Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, a special investigation unit of approximately 70 personnel has been assembled.