Women Threatened in Public Spaces, Including Restrooms and Subways...

Sexual Assault Attempt Shocks Subway Car Interior
Crimes Against Women Surge... 57% Feel Fear in Daily Life
Experts: "Most Random Offenders Are Socially Vulnerable"
"Activate Offender Management System for Early Detection and Treatment"

[Image source=Getty Images]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] Recently, an incident occurred in a subway car where a man in his 50s threatened a female passenger and attempted sexual assault, sparking outrage among women. There are concerns that even in public transportation with heavy foot traffic, serious crimes nearly took place brazenly. Women are expressing doubts about whether they can safely use buses and subways. Experts advise that to prevent crimes targeting women, it is necessary to establish a system to identify and manage offenders early.

Yongsan Station on Seoul Subway Line 1. The photo is not related to any specific expression in the article. Photo by Yonhap News.

On the morning of the 25th of last month, while a train on Seoul Subway Line 1 was traveling between Yongsan and Noryangjin stations, a man in his 50s, Mr. A, blocked the path of a woman in her 20s, Ms. B, inside the car.

At that time, only the two of them were inside the car. When the startled Ms. B tried to move to another car, Mr. A pushed her into the priority seat and pressed a weapon against her neck.

Mr. A said, "It's because you're pretty," and attempted sexual assault. Ms. B resisted by blocking the weapon with her hand, but Mr. A continued to assault her by hitting her face and head repeatedly. At that moment, the train stopped at Noryangjin Station, and Ms. B escaped with all her strength.

It is reported that Ms. B has been suffering from anxiety since the incident. In an interview on the 28th, she said, "Is it possible for something like this to happen in South Korea in 2021?" and added, "I thought I was the only one who could save myself, so I ran with all my might. Even now, when I take the subway, my hands get drenched in sweat thinking about that time."

Mr. A was caught by railway police at Uijeongbu Station on Line 1 at around 6:31 p.m. that day. The police have applied charges of special forcible molestation under the Sexual Violence Punishment Act and have requested an arrest warrant.

The scene during the May 2018 protest in Seoul's Gangnam Station against misogynistic crimes. / Photo by Yonhap News

However, women who heard about the incident still cannot hide their anxiety, saying they "cannot feel safe." Although the car was briefly empty, many find it unbelievable that sexual assault nearly occurred inside public transportation, which is usually crowded.

Ms. C, a woman in her 30s who commutes to Seoul using Subway Line 1 from Gyeonggi Province, said, "I really can't believe this could happen in 21st-century Korea," and expressed frustration, "Our country has always boasted about good public safety, but can anyone still say that after seeing this incident?"

Another female office worker, Ms. D (28), said, "Regardless of whether a place is crowded or not, women have to live in fear of being exposed to crime anywhere," and lamented, "This anxiety is truly exhausting."

This is not the first time a man has committed a serious crime against a woman in a crowded space.

Earlier, on February 17, a court official was arrested by police on suspicion of attempting sexual assault against a woman he did not know in a restroom of a commercial building in Songpa-gu, Seoul. The official, who was intoxicated at the time, followed the victim and committed the crime, but fled the scene when the victim fiercely resisted.

On the 28th of last month, a man in his 50s was booked on charges of assault for punching a woman he had just met on the shoulder at Dongdaemun Station platform. It was reported that the man's left forearm had the phrase "murder plan" written on it.

As crimes targeting women have occurred one after another, it has been revealed that the anxiety women feel about crime has also increased. / Photo by Yonhap News

As crimes targeting women continue unabated, women reportedly feel greater fear of crime compared to men. According to the "2020 Life of Women in Statistics" data released by Statistics Korea last year, 57% of women reported feeling fear of crime, about 13.5 percentage points higher than men (44.5%).

Experts advise that to prevent serious crimes targeting women or so-called "random crimes," a system for managing offenders must be established.

Yoon Jeongsook, Director of International Cooperation at the Korea Institute of Criminology, pointed out, "In the case of attempted sexual assault on the subway, there is a clear motive of sexual assault, so it does not fall under random crimes, but recently, many serious crimes and random crimes involving violence or attempted sexual assault against women have occurred."

Director Yoon noted, "Most perpetrators of such crimes have unclear motives or hold their own beliefs. Many are vulnerable groups exposed to delusions, alcohol or drug addiction, or social isolation."

She added, "To fundamentally prevent these crimes, a management system for these offenders must be established," and suggested, "Specifically, efforts should be actively promoted to manage and treat socially isolated and resentful individuals through community mental health centers and medical institutions."