Police Reverse Perpetrator's Nationality: "Chinese to Korean"
Police Admit "Confusion with Similar Incident"
Regarding the incident in which a Taiwanese YouTuber was assaulted near Hongdae in Mapo District, Seoul, it has been revealed that the perpetrator, whom police initially announced as being Chinese, was in fact a Korean man. The police initially released incorrect nationality information, but corrected it within a few hours, explaining that the error was due to confusion with another case.
A Taiwanese woman active as a YouTuber claimed that she was assaulted by a Korean man in Hongdae, Seoul. Screenshot from Lyu Liying's YouTube channel.
The Mapo Police Station announced in a press release at 4:40 p.m. on the 17th, “On September 14, an incident occurred on the streets of Hongdae in which a Taiwanese woman and a Korean man got into a scuffle, resulting in mutual assault.” Earlier that day, at 9:50 a.m., police had stated, “The male perpetrator is a man in his 20s of Chinese nationality,” but corrected the suspect’s nationality approximately seven hours later.
The police explained that there was confusion with another incident involving a Taiwanese woman that occurred at a similar time on the following day, September 15.
The incident in question occurred at around 5:20 a.m. on September 14 near Hongdae. The Taiwanese YouTuber, identified as Ms. A, claimed that while she was with an acquaintance, a Korean man attempted unwanted physical contact, and when she resisted, he assaulted her. It was reported that the perpetrator suggested to Ms. A’s group that they “spend the night together,” and when they refused, he assaulted them.
Immediately after the incident, Ms. A posted about the situation on her social media, and the story quickly spread, being reported by local media in Taiwan and causing significant public reaction.
As media inquiries followed, the police initially announced that the perpetrator was Chinese. However, Ms. A again stated on social media, “The perpetrator is indeed Korean,” and criticized the police, saying, “They told me to go home and rest without even checking the CCTV footage.”
During this process, Ms. A’s social media received hundreds of malicious comments, accusing her of “treating Korean men as criminals” and expressing anti-Korean sentiment. Despite this, Ms. A maintained her position, visited the police station again that afternoon, and the police ultimately admitted to the confusion and misidentification regarding the nationality and information.
However, the police added that, in relation to Ms. A’s case, both parties at the scene expressed that they did not wish to pursue charges, so the case has been closed.
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