[Exclusive] Single Password for Empty House Leads to 'Female One-Room Intrusion Case'... Police Investigation

[Asia Economy Reporters Song Seung-yoon and Lee Jung-yoon] The police have launched an investigation after a report was received that an unidentified man broke into the room of a woman living alone in an officetel in Incheon. Last year, there were two similar incidents in a one-room apartment area in Sillim-dong, Seoul, and last month, a man who broke into a woman’s home in Sinchon, Seoul, and attempted sexual assault was caught, heightening concerns about the residential safety of women living alone. There is also a view that copycat crimes have been rampant following the widespread attention to the 'Sillim-dong incident.'

According to the police on the 17th, the Samsan Police Station in Incheon is investigating after receiving a report from a woman, Ms. A, who said that someone appeared to have entered and left her home while she was away. According to Ms. A, the man is estimated to have entered her home at around 12:14 a.m. on the 16th. Ms. A, who was out at the time, learned through the KakaoTalk messenger that someone had broken into her home. She received a notification that her laptop, which was left in the room, had been turned on. Ms. A’s laptop was password-protected. When the password is entered and the laptop is turned on, KakaoTalk messenger automatically logs in, sending a notification to Ms. A’s phone.

Immediately after receiving the message, Ms. A returned home and checked the CCTV footage stored in the management office. The CCTV footage recorded about 10 minutes before the notification showed a man opening the door and entering. Ms. A claimed that since the man opened the door right after standing in front of it, it is presumed he had prior knowledge of the password. After reviewing the CCTV footage, Ms. A reported the incident to the police.

No items were missing from Ms. A’s home. This means the unidentified man entered the house, did not touch anything else, and only turned on the laptop. Knowing the laptop password beforehand would have been necessary. However, Ms. A told the police that a drawer, which she usually does not open, was found open when she returned home.

Ms. A said, "I created the main door password by combining several numbers meaningful to me, and the laptop password includes a mix of letters and special characters, making it impossible to guess. There is no one around who would visit my home when I’m not there, nor have I shared the passwords with anyone."

The police who responded to the report also found many unclear aspects after listening to Ms. A’s statement and reenacting the situation. In particular, there was no CCTV footage showing the man leaving the room or exiting the building. The police at the scene reportedly expressed their frustration to Ms. A, saying, "We have conducted numerous investigations, but this is the first time we have seen a case like this."

The police are conducting inquiries based on the CCTV footage and Ms. A’s statements. The forensic team also visited the scene to collect evidence for fingerprint analysis. They are also investigating the possibility of hidden cameras installed for illegal filming. Considering that there is no footage of the man leaving the building, the police are also exploring the possibility that he might be a resident of the same building.

This case shares many similarities with a series of 'one-room crimes' that occurred in Sillim-dong, Seoul, in May last year. At that time, a 30-year-old man followed and attempted to break into the one-room apartment of a woman in her 20s. This case became widely known as the 'Sillim-dong attempted rape case' and sparked significant social controversy. The man was prosecuted and sentenced to one year in prison in the first trial. In July of the same year, another incident occurred in Sillim-dong where a man entered the home of a woman living alone and attempted sexual assault. On the 7th of last month, a man who broke into a woman’s home in an officetel in Sinchon, Seoul, and attempted sexual assault was apprehended.