Woman Met at Hongdae Club Uses Profanity and Violence... Turns Out to Be a Thai Transgender

"Soon Departing... Likely to Close Due to No Grounds for Detention"

A woman revealed that she was assaulted by a Thai transgender person on the streets of Hongdae, Seoul.

A woman claimed that she was assaulted by a Thai transgender person on the streets of Hongdae, Seoul. [Image source=JTBC 'Case Judge' capture]

On the 29th, JTBC's 'Incident Commander' reported a tip from a woman in her 20s, Ms. A, who said she was assaulted after visiting a club in Hongdae, Seoul, on the 26th. Ms. A explained, "At the club, a Korean man and a foreign woman sitting next to me were engaging in excessive physical contact and invading my space," adding, "When the man and woman even splashed some strange liquid, I couldn't stand it anymore and asked them to move a little to the side." Then, the foreign woman reportedly immediately cursed at Ms. A in a mix of English and Korean, saying, "Aren't you a Kimchi-nyeo?" When Ms. A asked, "What did you say?" the woman threw a bucket filled with ice at her. The foreign woman then grabbed Ms. A's hair and kicked her in the ribs, starting the assault. The foreign woman's acquaintance also joined in.

A woman claimed that she was assaulted by a Thai transgender person on the streets of Hongdae, Seoul. [Image source=JTBC 'Sageonbanjang' capture]

Ms. A said, "With the help of the club guards, I was escorted outside and reported the foreign woman to the police," but added, "Even then, the woman threatened me in English, saying 'I will kill you.' She even assaulted the club guards who tried to intervene." She continued, "At the moment the foreign woman was thrown down by a guard, I saw under her skirt and realized she was a transgender person," and appealed, "I was injured in the head, face, and arms from this incident and even quit my job."

The foreign woman's acquaintance claimed, "I did not see the start of the assault," but argued, "I heard the fight started because Ms. A repeatedly shouted 'You are a transgender' while filming without permission." The acquaintance also denied involvement in the assault, saying, "I was only caught up in the fight, not directly involved." The friend is also said to be planning to leave the country soon.

The police explained, "Both the tipster and the transgender party were booked for mutual assault," and added, "Even if the transgender person returns to Thailand, the investigation will continue." However, Ms. A said she is 171 cm tall, which is taller than the average woman, but the foreign woman was much taller and bigger than her. Above all, she felt an overwhelming difference in strength. She added, "I did not assault anyone and only responded defensively," and stated, "I want a proper apology or for the perpetrator to be punished."

Attorney Yang Ji-yeol said, "Since this is not a matter warranting detention, if the person actually leaves the country, there is practically no way for the police to forcibly deport them even if they are booked," and predicted, "Although the victim may feel wronged, there is a possibility that the police will have no way to resolve this and may end the case altogether."