"Shall I buy you a drink?"... Suspected Attempted Abduction of Elementary Student Reported in Gangnam

Police Investigating to Verify Facts with Parents and Others Involved

The police have launched an investigation to verify the facts after rumors spread about an attempted abduction of a student near an elementary school in Gangnam-gu, Seoul.

According to Yonhap News on April 18, the police reported that at around 6:20 p.m. the previous day, two men encountered a second-grade male student near a large supermarket across from A Elementary School in Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu. One of the men asked the student, "Shall I buy you a drink?" The student reportedly refused, saying, "I'm fine," and then walked away.

Seoul Suseo Police Station.

Subsequently, A Elementary School reported the incident to the police on the morning of April 18, and the police are currently confirming the facts with the student's parents and others involved.

The school sent out a notice to parents stating, "There was an attempted abduction near the school, and we are receiving reports from parents about similar incidents," and urged, "Please instruct your children never to follow anyone, even someone they know, without the guardian's permission." The school has requested increased police patrols and plans to ask for the distribution of composite sketches of the men suspected of attempting the abduction.

According to media reports, two days earlier, at B Elementary School in Gaepo-dong, Gangnam-gu, located 2.3 kilometers from A Elementary School, a report was filed that an elementary student was nearly harmed. At around 12:30 p.m. on April 16, an elderly man at a bus stop near B Elementary School grabbed the bag strap of a second-grade student, saying, "This is mine," but the student managed to break free and run away.

After receiving a report from the student's parents, the police are analyzing closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage near the bus stop to track the whereabouts of the elderly man. B Elementary School has requested the installation of additional CCTV cameras and increased patrols from the Gangnam-gu Office and Seoul Suseo Police Station. The school also sent a notice to parents, emphasizing the need for ongoing attention and guidance so that students remain alert to traffic safety and interactions with strangers during their commute to and from school.

Meanwhile, in April 2023, so-called "drug drinks" were distributed to students commuting to and from school in the Daechi-dong private education district of Gangnam-gu. At that time, the perpetrators deceived students by claiming it was a tasting event for drinks that enhance concentration, and gave nine minors beverages mixed with methamphetamine and milk, then contacted their parents to demand money. The ringleader, identified as Lee (28), was sentenced to 23 years in prison by the appellate court in December last year.