At Least 140 Instances of Abuse Over Two Months... Shocking CCTV Restoration of 'Taekwondo Dojang Abuse Death'

Restored CCTV Deleted Immediately After Incident
At Least 140 Cases of Abuse Over Two Months
"It Was a Joke... No Intent to Abuse," Claim Made

Taekwondo gym director Mr. A placed a 5-year-old student upside down inside a mat, preventing the child from breathing. The child, who fell into a coma, eventually died 11 days after the incident. JTBC 'Sageon Banjang'

At a taekwondo academy in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province, the head instructor, accused of causing the death of a child student, was found to have abused the child at least 140 times.

On the 13th, the police announced that they had completed the restoration of the closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage from the taekwondo academy where the 5-year-old child died. The restored footage reportedly shows the 30-year-old head instructor, Mr. A, forcefully hitting the head of the deceased child, Mr. B, or severely pinching his cheeks. Additionally, Mr. B was pushed backward as Mr. A suddenly shoved his face, almost causing him to fall.

The police determined that Mr. A had abused Mr. B at least 140 times over two months from May until just before the incident. However, during the investigation, Mr. A stated, "It was just playful behavior with no intent to abuse." The police plan to indict Mr. A by adding the newly confirmed abuse charges based on the restored CCTV footage. The sentencing hearing will take place after the final arguments conclude on the 19th of next month.

The trial of Taekwondo instructor A, who caused the death of a 5-year-old student in cardiac arrest and unconsciousness at a Taekwondo gym in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province, will be held on the 19th of next month. Yonhap News

Earlier, on July 12 around 7 p.m., Mr. A placed Mr. B upside down inside a mat (height 124 cm, hole diameter approximately 18?23 cm) at a taekwondo academy in Deokgye-dong, Yangju, preventing him from breathing for about 27 minutes. At the time, Mr. B shouted, "Let me out," and a nearby instructor also said he should be taken out, but Mr. A continued to leave Mr. B unattended. Eventually, Mr. B was taken to the hospital in critical condition and passed away after 11 days. Immediately after the incident, Mr. A deleted the CCTV footage inside the academy to hide his crime and coerced other instructors to give false statements. He reportedly pressured them by saying, "Persuade the children well."

The police concluded that even after Mr. B was found in a coma, Mr. A failed to provide appropriate rescue measures and instead destroyed evidence and avoided responsibility. Therefore, he was arrested on charges of child abuse homicide rather than child abuse causing death. The charge of child abuse homicide carries penalties of death, life imprisonment, or imprisonment for seven years or more. During the police investigation, it was also revealed that Mr. A had similarly abused other students at the taekwondo academy. The children testified that "Mr. A was very scary because he forced students into mats or physically assaulted them at the academy."