Man Given Probation for Indiscriminately Assaulting Girlfriend in Busan Underground Shopping Center, Saying "Call Mom, I'm Angry"

Last November, a man was caught on closed-circuit television (CCTV) kicking a fallen woman at Deokcheon Underground Shopping Center in Deokcheon-dong, Buk-gu, Busan, sparking controversy. Photo by Online Community Capture.

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] A man who indiscriminately assaulted his girlfriend with a mobile phone after she collapsed in the Deokcheon Underground Shopping Center in Busan was sentenced to probation.

On the 15th, Judge Chu Seongyeop of the Criminal Division 2, Busan District Court Western Branch, announced that Mr. A, who was tried on charges of special assault, was sentenced to six months in prison with a two-year probation period.

The court stated the sentencing reasons, saying, "The victim appears to have suffered considerable physical and mental damage from this crime. However, considering that Mr. A fully admitted and reflected on the crime, and that Ms. B, who reached a settlement, did not want prosecution."

It was reported that on the early morning of November 7 last year, at Deokcheon Underground Shopping Center, Mr. A got angry and quarreled because his girlfriend Ms. B called Mr. A’s mother using his mobile phone. At the time, Mr. A was intoxicated.

At the time of the incident, Ms. B first hit Mr. A’s face, and Mr. A also hit Ms. B in return. Afterwards, Mr. A struck Ms. B’s face multiple times with his mobile phone while she was collapsed from the punches. Ms. B sustained injuries to her head and other areas that required more than two weeks of treatment.

Meanwhile, this case became known after a video showing the assault was circulated on online communities. In the video, after Ms. B collapsed to the floor due to Mr. A’s assault, Mr. A left her unattended and disappeared while looking at his mobile phone.

At the time, an employee of the shopping center management office on duty saw the scene through the control room monitor and reported it to 112, then checked Ms. B’s condition. The police responded to the report and arrived at the scene, but Ms. B refused to file a complaint and went home. After the video spread, Mr. A voluntarily appeared at the police station for investigation three days after the crime.