"This Really Crossed the Line" Chinese Tourists Who Left the Country the Day After Assaulting a Gyeongbokgung Palace Guard

Left the country the day after police questioning
Not subject to a travel ban request, so no restrictions imposed

A security guard working at Gyeongbokgung was subjected to a group assault by two Chinese men. Screenshot from Channel A broadcast.

An incident occurred in which a security guard working at Gyeongbokgung Palace was assaulted by two Chinese nationals.

On the 12th, the Jongno Police Station in Seoul announced that it is investigating one Chinese national man in his 50s and another in his 60s on charges of assault. They are accused of assaulting a Gyeongbokgung Palace security guard at around 3:30 p.m. on the 2nd near Hyangjeongwon in Gyeongbokgung Palace in Jongno-gu, Seoul.

The police questioned the two men over the assault allegations at a nearby police substation after asking them to accompany the officers voluntarily. The police explained that although the assaulted staff member is affiliated with the National Heritage Administration, he is employed as a government-supported worker rather than as a public official, so the charge of obstruction of the performance of official duties was not applied.

The Chinese tourists are believed to have departed the country the day after the investigation was completed. A travel ban can be requested only for offenses punishable by death, life imprisonment, or a fixed-term imprisonment of at least three years, and since their alleged offense does not fall under any of these categories, it was reported that immigration restrictions could not be imposed.

An official at the Jongno Police Station said, "The investigation is almost complete, and we plan to refer the suspects to the prosecution." The police added that if they are later summarily indicted and fined, and they fail to pay the fine on the grounds that they are staying abroad, they will be placed on a wanted list.