Verbal Abuse and Assault on Elderly Women by Minors on Gyeonggi Uijeonbuk Gyeongjeon Subway
All Perpetrators Aged 13... Police Plan to Transfer to Juvenile Court
Video Spread on SNS Sparks Public Outrage
A teenager, presumed to be a middle school student, is seen grabbing an elderly woman from behind. / Photo by YouTube Capture
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] Middle school students who verbally abused and assaulted elderly people in public places such as the Uijeongbu Light Rail Transit in Gyeonggi Province have been investigated by the police. The video showing these middle school students assaulting elderly individuals spread online, causing public outrage.
The Uijeongbu Police in Gyeonggi announced on the 22nd that they have identified and completed the investigation of the middle school students involved in the assault. The suspects identified in the video are A (13, first-year middle school student) and B (13, first-year middle school student), both attending a middle school in the Uijeongbu area. The police summoned them for questioning on assault charges.
However, since they are both 13 years old and fall under the Juvenile Act, they will be referred to the juvenile court rather than being criminally charged.
Meanwhile, it was confirmed that C, the elderly victim assaulted in the video, also completed the victim investigation after their child reported the video online. During the police investigation, C expressed a desire to punish the two offending students, including A.
The controversial video containing the details of the incident began spreading mainly on social networking services (SNS) such as Facebook from the previous day (21st), sparking controversy.
The video shows a male student, presumed to be a middle schooler, choking an elderly woman’s neck and knocking her to the floor inside the Uijeongbu Light Rail Transit. During this, the two exchange severe verbal abuse.
An elderly man scolding a teenager sitting in a priority seat on the subway. / Photo by YouTube Capture
In another video, a male student, also believed to be a middle schooler, is seen sitting in a priority seat for the elderly on the subway and then getting into an argument with an elderly man, receiving a scolding.
A teenager, presumed to be a middle school student, pushes an elderly person roughly with their shoulder and steps forward. / Photo by YouTube Capture
The middle school students verbally abuse the elderly man with phrases like "You old bastard," "Did you drink? Just go to sleep," and approach him with rough gestures, even pushing him with their shoulders.
Eventually, feeling threatened, the elderly man gets off the subway, while the middle school students mock and continue to verbally abuse him as they watch him leave.
Netizens who viewed the video expressed anger, saying things like "They should be criminally punished," "I hope their names are revealed," and "They feel fearless because they are considered juveniles under the law."
On the same day, a petition titled "Punish the 2007-born who attacked the elderly" was posted on the Blue House National Petition Board.
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