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South Korean care home director sentenced to 15 years for sexually assaulting disabled residents
Overview
A court in Seoul has sentenced the director of a state-subsidised care home for intellectually disabled residents to 15 years in prison for sexual assault. The case has shocked South Korea, exposing flaws in institutional oversight, difficulties in investigating crimes against victims with severe communication challenges, and broader structural issues regarding disability care.
Key points
- The director of the Saekdongwon care home in Incheon, identified as Kim, was sentenced to 15 years in prison after being convicted of sexually assaulting residents.
- The abuse came to light after a resident named Seo Mi-hyeon suffered a head injury during an assault and disclosed the abuse to her mother upon leaving the facility in February 2025.
- Police investigations identified at least two other victims, though researchers and advocacy groups believe at least ten more residents may have been abused.
- Rights groups and researchers criticised the police and courts for failing to recognise the accounts of victims with severe communication difficulties, relying too heavily on complete verbal testimony.
- Despite regular local authority inspections, the abuse went undetected for nearly a decade at the fully state-subsidised facility.
- The South Korean government has ordered nationwide inspections of residential facilities, identifying dozens of suspected abuse cases, and Ganghwa County has ordered Saekdongwon to close.