Charges of Assault and Intimidation
Case Upgraded from Unattended Death to Criminal Investigation
Forced Motorcycle Sale and Demands for Late Fees Indicate Extortion
The case of a 16-year-old teenager who was found dead in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, last August has led to the arrest and indictment of a senior student after a police reinvestigation uncovered evidence of assault, intimidation, and other criminal acts. Initially treated as a simple unattended death, the case was found to be linked to criminal activity through statements from friends and forensic analysis of mobile phones.
According to legal sources on the 29th, the Andong Branch of the Daegu District Prosecutors' Office indicted student B on November 21 on charges including multiple counts of assault, intimidation, extortion, and confinement against student A, who was found dead on the rooftop of an apartment in Angi-dong, Andong, on August 17.
The prosecution's investigation revealed that B had forcibly transferred a used 125cc motorcycle, which he had purchased for 700,000 won in July, to A for 1.4 million won. At the time, A could only come up with 700,000 won, and it was determined that he paid off the remaining amount by working part-time delivering chicken.
Each time A handed over money, B demanded late fees, claiming that the payment was delayed, and there was even an incident where A was confined in a motel and assaulted. During this period, A asked his aunt for help and borrowed 400,000 won. Prosecutors estimate that A handed over a total of about 5 million won to B over the course of a month.
Two days before A's death, police received a report that someone was riding a motorcycle without a license near Andong Dam. A was booked for driving without a license and the motorcycle was confiscated. After this, A reportedly found it difficult to earn any more income and was deeply afraid of retaliation and further violence. Eventually, in the early morning of August 19, A left a final message to his girlfriend, asking her to tell his grandmother he was sorry, and took his own life.
Meanwhile, on the day A died, B retrieved the confiscated motorcycle from the police and resold it to a third party for 1.7 million won. Investigations revealed that B was able to reclaim the motorcycle because he had not transferred ownership after the sale.
At the time of the incident, the police initially classified the case as a simple unattended death due to personal circumstances. However, the investigation was reopened after nine friends testified at the funeral that A had been subjected to ongoing threats and beatings by his senior. Police substantiated the criminal charges through witness statements and approximately three months of forensic analysis of B's mobile phone, and then referred the case to the prosecution.
Although juvenile cases are usually investigated without detention, prosecutors determined there was a risk of evidence destruction and flight, so they requested an arrest warrant. The court accepted this, and B was formally arrested and indicted on December 15.
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