[Asia Economy Reporter Song Seung-yoon] In relation to the case where a security guard at an apartment in Gangbuk-gu, Seoul, took his own life after suffering abuse and assault from a resident, the resident accused as the perpetrator appeared in court on the 22nd for a pre-arrest detention hearing.
Resident A, who arrived at the Seoul Northern District Court at 10:30 a.m. that day, entered the courtroom through an underground passage to avoid the press. About an hour later, after the detention hearing concluded, A appeared but did not respond to questions from reporters such as "Do you admit to the assault charges?" and immediately boarded the transport vehicle.
The detention hearing for A was conducted by Judge Jung Soo-kyung, who is in charge of detention warrants. The decision on whether to detain A is expected to be made as early as late that afternoon.
Earlier, on the 19th, the Gangbuk Police Station in Seoul applied for an arrest warrant for A on charges including injury, intimidation, and retaliatory assault under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes.
A is suspected of assaulting the late security guard Choi Hee-seok last month after a dispute over parking at the apartment where A resided.
Choi had filed a police complaint against A at the end of last month for injury, assault, and intimidation. Then, on the 10th of this month, Choi left a voice will stating that he had been assaulted and verbally abused by A, and subsequently took his own life in the apartment.
It is known that A mostly denied these allegations during the police investigation.
Meanwhile, prior to the detention hearing that day, a memorial group for the late security guard Choi Hee-seok held a press conference in front of the Northern District Court and submitted a petition to the court urging A's detention and a strict investigation.
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