Senior students at the Physical Education College assaulted with wooden sticks and stripped underwear... Will discipline enforcement lead to handcuffs?

Senior in Sports Science Department at Baekseok University Habitually Assaulted Junior
Victim's Parents Reported... "Feared Retaliation"

At Baekseok University, habitual assault and harsh treatment among enrolled students have occurred, prompting the police to launch an investigation.

Baekseok University campus view. [Photo by Baekseok University]

On the 22nd, Yonhap News reported that "the police have booked and are investigating six students, including A (22), a member of the Sports Science Department at Baekseok University, on charges of assault, special assault, coercion, and forced molestation." They are accused of habitually assaulting nine freshmen from February to November of last year.

According to the police investigation, senior student A made two juniors face the wall for 10 hours or do push-up planks for an hour because they made mistakes during an event. Another senior reportedly assaulted two juniors with wooden sticks because they failed to bring a junior who resisted disciplinary training.

They frequently verbally abused and personally attacked the juniors, made them run errands often, and forcibly removed a junior's underwear in front of other students under the pretense of giving a massage. Many victims suffered difficulties, including receiving psychiatric treatment due to months of harassment by seniors, but hesitated to report the incidents fearing retaliation at the departmental level after reporting.

The report was made by the parents of the victim students. After receiving the report from the victims' parents, the police launched an investigation and announced that they plan to send the six suspects, including A, to the prosecution without detention soon. The suspects admitted to the crimes during the police investigation, stating that "the actions were taken to establish discipline among juniors." Baekseok University has not issued any particular statement regarding this incident. A department official also told Asia Economy, "We will not make any further comments."