"I Was Afraid She'd Meet Another Man": Korean Husband Arrested for Pouring Boiling Water on Thai Wife

Poured Boiling Water on Sleeping Wife's Face, Causing Severe Injuries
Incident Revealed by Hospital Report... Police "Considering Arrest Warrant"

A Korean man in his 40s was arrested by police after pouring boiling water on his sleeping spouse's face, causing burns.

The image shows a Thai wife with burns. Photo by Yonhap News.

The Uijeongbu Police Station in Gyeonggi Province announced on the 11th that they have booked a man in his 40s, identified as A, on charges of aggravated assault and are currently investigating the case.

Mr. A is accused of pouring boiling water on the face of his Thai wife, B, who is in her 30s and was asleep at the time, at an apartment in Howon-dong, Uijeongbu City, around noon on December 3, causing her to suffer severe burns.

Immediately after the incident, Mr. A took Ms. B to a burn specialist hospital in Seongdong-gu, Seoul. Medical staff, suspecting assault, reported the case to the police around 9 p.m. that day. The case was subsequently transferred from the Seongdong Police Station to the Uijeongbu Police Station, where the investigation is ongoing.

During questioning, Mr. A reportedly stated, "I wanted to make her face unattractive because I was afraid she would meet another man," indicating that his motive was to prevent Ms. B from leaving him.

The police are currently verifying evidence based on Mr. A's statement and the circumstances, and are considering applying for an arrest warrant soon.

Meanwhile, immediately after the incident, Ms. B informed others of the assault through a Thai acquaintance's social networking service (SNS). The case drew attention in Thailand after local media outlets such as 'The Thaiger' reported on it. On December 8, Tanee Sangrat, the Thai Ambassador to South Korea, visited the hospital with consular staff to comfort Ms. B and pledged continued support for her treatment and the ongoing investigation.