"Feeling Sorry"... 20s Man Detained for Taking Missing Gwangju Middle School Girl

Booked on Charges of Violating the Missing Child Protection Act

The Western Gwangju Police Station has booked a man in his 20s who had been keeping a missing female middle school student from Gwangju for two months.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Culture Young Intern Reporter] A man in his 20s who had been keeping a missing middle school girl at his home without reporting her disappearance for over two months has been booked.

On the 26th, the Gwangju Western Police Station booked a man in his 20s, Mr. A, on charges of violating the Missing Child Protection Act for living with a runaway middle school girl for two months at his home.

Mr. A knew that the middle school girl, Ms. B, had run away from home from July 18 to the 23rd of this month but did not report it to the relevant authorities and allowed her to stay at his home in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon.

Earlier, Ms. B disappeared on July 18, leaving her belongings such as her cellphone and bag at school. The police began investigating after receiving a report from her family that she had not returned even after school hours, and confirmed that Ms. B took a highway bus to Daejeon and then a taxi.

However, due to poor quality of the closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage, it was difficult to identify the taxi’s license plate that Ms. B boarded, and digital forensic analysis was requested on Ms. B’s cellphone and computer.

After identifying circumstances where Ms. B mentioned a restaurant in the Daejeon area, the police conducted stakeouts and inquiries around the area. They secured a tip from a resident who reported seeing someone resembling her, and on the 23rd, 68 days after her disappearance, found Ms. B in front of a nearby restaurant.

According to the investigation, Mr. A had suggested to Ms. B, whom he met through a mobile game messenger, to come to Daejeon where he lived, offering to provide food and lodging.

During the police investigation, Mr. A stated, "I felt sorry for Ms. B who had run away and had nowhere to go, so I kept her with me," and denied committing any crimes such as threats or confinement.

The police sent Ms. B to a child-specialized protection agency to receive counseling and emotional support, while continuing to investigate whether she was a victim of any crimes during her runaway period.