Police have re-summoned the head of Saekdongwon, a residential facility for severely disabled individuals in Incheon, who is at the center of sexual violence allegations.
The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Saekdongwon Special Investigation Unit questioned facility head Kim for approximately six hours starting at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, pressing him on sexual abuse charges. When Kim emerged from the interrogation room at around 7:07 p.m., he left without responding to reporters' questions about whether he admitted to the sexual assault charges and whether he agreed with a report stating 19 people were victimized.
Kim is accused of forcing women with disabilities residing at Saekdongwon into sexual intercourse or coercing them into sexual acts. An in-depth investigation report commissioned by Incheon's Ganghwa County to a university contains statements from 19 women aged 30 to 60, including 17 current residents and two former residents, claiming they suffered sexual abuse.
Police have identified six individuals as victims so far, with the number expected to increase as the investigation progresses. After conducting a search and seizure at Saekdongwon in September last year, police banned Kim from leaving the country and have interviewed 20 women with disabilities who resided at the facility until last month. Additionally, following an emergency directive from Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, authorities have assembled a special investigation unit of approximately 70 personnel dedicated to the Saekdongwon case.