Crime · 02 September, 2026 · 2 min read
South Korea Court Sentences Saekdongwon Head Kim To 15 Years For Sex Assaults In Incheon
Kim, former director of Saekdongwon in Incheon, sentenced to 15 years. Convicted of sexually assaulting multiple residents with disabilities.
Wider national scandal and policy scrutiny beyond the sentence.
4 of 6 outlets skipped it: electronic tracking device request was rejected.
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Kursiv Media
“This case has led to broader scrutiny of residential facilities for people with disabilities across South Korea.”Read the original ↗
Yonhap News Agency
“The court found Kim guilty of sexually assaulting three Saekdongwon residents and injuring one victim who resisted by throwing a glass cup at the victim's head.”Read the original ↗
Kursiv adds nationwide policy fallout; Yonhap focuses mainly on the court findings.
15 Years for Abuse
A South Korean court sentenced the former head of Saekdongwon, a residential facility for people with severe developmental disabilities in Incheon, to 15 years in prison for sexually assaulting residents. The Seoul Central District Court’s Criminal Agreement Division 29, presided over by Eom Gi-pyo, convicted the man surnamed Kim of sexually assaulting three Saekdongwon residents and injuring one victim who resisted by throwing a glass cup at the victim's head. The court also ordered Kim to be restricted from employment at institutions related to children, teenagers, and people with disabilities, and placed him under probation.
Yonhap said the ruling was handed down for offenses at Saekdongwon in Incheon’s Ganghwa district, west of Seoul, and that the court acquitted Kim of raping another facility resident while finding the offense violated the Act on Welfare of Persons with Disabilities. In explaining the sentence, the court said, "There is a need to impose a stern sentence for sex crimes against people with disabilities, who are socially vulnerable."
Investigation and Scrutiny
Police started investigating Kim after one of his victims, a woman with a severe intellectual disability, came forward in February last year. The BBC reported that the case prompted the government to inspect 1,507 care facilities for disabled people across the country, where 33 cases of suspected abuse were found. An assessment commissioned by Ganghwa County found that 20 current and former female residents of Saekdongwon may have experienced sexual abuse, and Ganghwa County ordered the facility to close.
Incheon City officials revoked the licence of the foundation that operated Saekdongwon, but the BBC said the closure was deferred until remaining residents were relocated and arrangements for independent living were completed. BBC also quoted South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok describing the abuse at Saekdongwon as "a grave matter that calls into question the very reason for the state's existence."
What Happens Next
The court’s decision barred Kim from working at institutions serving children, adolescents and the disabled, and the Seoul Central District Court also ordered three years of probation. Prosecutors had sought a 20-year prison term at the final hearing in July, but the court rejected that request and also rejected prosecutors’ bid for an electronic tracking device. Chosunbiz said the court found most of Kim’s charges guilty while acquitting only the part related to one victim, explaining that it was hard to conclude the victim was in a state unable to resist or that Kim used deception or force.
Kursiv Media said the case led to broader scrutiny of residential facilities for people with disabilities across South Korea, and it reported that authorities ordered Saekdongwon to close and revoked the license of the foundation that operated it. KThe BBC added that the ruling is subject to appeal, and it said the foundation has filed an administrative lawsuit challenging the revocation of its licence.