Death from Fall in Busan Officetel Last January
Ex-Boyfriend Was First Witness and Reporter
Obsessive and Violent Before Breakup... Also Stalking
Regarding the incident last January in Busan where a woman in her 20s fell to her death from an officetel, the bereaved family claims that the deceased was subjected to assault and stalking by her ex-boyfriend and is receiving petitions urging severe punishment for the perpetrator.
On the 16th, an online community post titled "The Bereaved Family of the 20s Woman Who Fell to Her Death and the 13-Hour Doorbell Incident" was uploaded along with a petition. The Busan District Prosecutors' Office arrested and indicted a man in his 20s, Mr. A, on the 8th on charges including special intimidation, violation of the Act on the Punishment of Stalking Crimes, property damage, and refusal to leave.
According to the prosecution's investigation, Mr. A is accused of repeatedly threatening his then-girlfriend Ms. B from August to October last year, and after Ms. B notified him of their breakup on December 9 of the same year, he stalked her by knocking on the door of her residence and sending KakaoTalk messages for about 17 hours.
Ms. B fell to her death from the 9th floor of an officetel in Busanjin-gu around 2:30 a.m. on January 7, about a month after notifying Mr. A of their breakup. The first witness and the person who called 119 was Mr. A. He reportedly told the investigators that "Ms. B fell from the 9th floor after having an argument with him."
The bereaved family finds it hard to believe Mr. A’s statement. In media interviews, the family claimed, "When Ms. B said she wanted to break up, Mr. A came to her house and pressed the doorbell for 13 hours," "Mr. A assaulted Ms. B to the point that she had bruises," and "He was obsessive, making Ms. B wear long sleeves and long pants even in midsummer and checking her supermarket receipts."
In the petition, the family stated, "The perpetrator initially falsely testified that after arguing with the victim and going outside, he saw the victim fall and reported it," and "Later, when the police secured CCTV footage showing the perpetrator was with the victim at the time of the fall and questioned him, he reversed his statement and admitted to being there at the time of the fall." They added, "After the victim fell, the perpetrator was seen taking a beer can and slippers he had consumed alone before the victim came back," and "He only called 119 about 10 minutes after the victim fell, not immediately."
The family expressed frustration that while they have been devastated and sleepless every day, Mr. A continues to use social media during the investigation, and his sister, who is an actress, is carrying on with her daily life, including filming dramas.
The family lamented, "Despite overwhelming evidence, the perpetrator’s side still denies all charges without any sign of remorse or apology," and "The perpetrator is actively using social media during the investigation, and we hear that his sister is living a normal life and filming dramas." They emphasized that stalking is a serious crime with a high risk of recurrence and urged netizens to pay attention and share the petition to ensure proper punishment is carried out to prevent further victims. The family plans to collect citizens’ petitions online and submit them to the court.
Mr. A’s first trial will be held on May 1 at the Busan District Court.
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