"Boyfriend Abandoned Daughter After Assault, Public Disclosure Requested" 청원 at Blue House Surpasses 260,000 Supporters

"If We Let This Pass, Another Victim Will Emerge"

Petition post by the victim's mother on the Blue House National Petition Board on the 25th / Photo by National Petition Board capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] A petition posted by the mother of a woman in her 20s who died after being brutally assaulted by her boyfriend has garnered over 260,000 signatures, meeting the threshold for an official response from the Blue House. The victim’s mother urged a thorough investigation and the disclosure of the perpetrator’s identity, stating, "The assailant deliberately neglected my daughter, causing her to miss the golden hour for treatment."

On the 25th, a post titled "I am the mother of a daughter who died after being assaulted by her boyfriend" was uploaded on the national petition board.

The petitioner, who identified herself as the victim’s mother, explained, "The perpetrator assaulted my daughter’s head and abdomen repeatedly while moving back and forth between the first-floor corridor and the elevator of her officetel." She added, "He grabbed her head, pushed her against the wall multiple times causing her to fall, then climbed on top of her, pressed down with his knees, and mercilessly punched her head."

She continued, "When 119 (emergency services) arrived, my daughter was already in cardiac arrest with severe bleeding from her head. The emergency room said the brain hemorrhage was too severe to treat, so they put her on a ventilator. She endured three weeks in the intensive care unit before passing away," she lamented.

CCTV footage capturing the assault incident and B, who died after being assaulted by her boyfriend Mr. A at an officetel in Mapo-gu, Seoul last month. / Photo by SBS

According to the petitioner, the perpetrator holds an emergency medical technician (EMT) certification. She questioned, "He claims it was unintentional, but if he has an EMT license, how could he not have known that my daughter’s life was in danger after she collapsed?"

She also alleged, "The perpetrator moved my daughter elsewhere and only called 119 with a false report after a long delay, deliberately neglecting her and causing her to miss the golden hour. It is clear he had intent to kill."

She raised her voice, saying, "If this is overlooked, more victims will suffer and die unjustly. We demand the perpetrator, who brutally assaulted a woman leading to her death, be arrested and that his identity be disclosed." She also called for the establishment of a "Date Violence Aggravated Punishment Act" to impose harsher penalties on assault cases occurring between romantic partners.

As of 4 p.m. on the 27th, two days after the petition was posted, it had received over 260,000 signatures. National petitions that receive more than 200,000 signatures within 30 days are eligible for an official response from the Blue House.

Meanwhile, the incident occurred in the early morning of the 25th of last month at an officetel in Mapo-gu, Seoul. According to the police, a man in his 30s, identified as Mr. A, began assaulting the victim, Ms. B, after an argument in the lobby of her residence.

The incident occurred in the early morning of the 25th of last month at an officetel in Mapo-gu, Seoul. / Photo by Yonhap News

After Ms. B lost consciousness due to the severe assault, Mr. A falsely reported to 119, saying, "My girlfriend seems to have injured her head while intoxicated." Ms. B was transported to a nearby hospital and received treatment but remained in a coma for about a month before ultimately passing away on the 17th.

The police booked Mr. A on charges of injury resulting in death and applied for an arrest warrant on the 27th of last month, but the court dismissed the warrant, citing no risk of flight or evidence tampering.

The deceased woman’s mother also released CCTV footage showing her daughter’s name, face, and the assault at the time to SBS on the 26th.

In an interview with SBS, she said, "The doctor already told me that my child’s brain hemorrhage caused cardiac arrest, and the time without oxygen was too long." She expressed her outrage, saying, "Did she just die from a fight during a relationship? No matter how many times I think about it, we cannot help but believe this was murder."