A man in his 30s suspected of carrying out a revenge-for-hire crime has been arrested by police, even after President Lee Jae-myung ordered a stern crackdown on so-called "private revenge proxy" offenses spread through social media.
According to police on Wednesday, the Seoul Gangbuk Police Station has detained the man, identified only as A, on charges of property damage and trespassing, and is currently investigating the case. Police are also reviewing whether to apply for an arrest warrant.
A is accused of spraying red lacquer paint and pouring soy sauce on the front gate of a house in Gangbuk-gu, Seoul, around 11:30 p.m. on Saturday. Police apprehended him at around 6:40 p.m. on Sunday, just a day after the report was filed.
Investigators view the incident as linked to the so-called "revenge-for-hire" crimes. Police are focusing their probe on the circumstances of the crime, whether it was commissioned, and the existence of any organization behind it.
The organization suspected of being behind A is reported to have operated on a Telegram chatroom under the slogan "All types of grudges resolved." The chatroom is also said to have featured a video showing red lacquer being sprayed on a building's front gate, along with a post indicating that the job had been "completed."
As revenge-for-hire crimes using Telegram and social media have continued, President Lee announced a hardline response through his X account, formerly known as Twitter, on the 15th.
"Both those who request revenge and those who carry it out are serious criminals who deserve no leniency," Lee said at the time, ordering relevant agencies to conduct thorough investigations.
According to the government, since Telegram-based revenge-for-hire crimes were first identified in Daegu in August last year, a total of 50 suspects have been arrested as of the 15th. Of those, 14 are currently in custody.
