Incident occurred at Yeongdeungpo Park on Aug. 12

Police arrested suspect after victim reported attack

Military status confirmed; case transferred to Seoul Metropolitan Police

Police [Yonhap]
Police [Yonhap]

An active-duty soldier in his 20s has been arrested on charges of following a woman jogging in a Seoul park late at night and forcibly embracing her from behind.

According to police Tuesday, the Yeongdeungpo Police Station arrested the soldier, identified only as A, on charges of indecent assault.

A is accused of following a woman running at Yeongdeungpo Park in Yeongdeungpo-gu at around 10:21 p.m. on Aug. 12 and grabbing her from behind.

Officers who responded after the victim called police apprehended A inside the park.

During the identity check, police confirmed A was an active-duty soldier. The Yeongdeungpo Police Station transferred the case to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency the following day, Aug. 13.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency is investigating the exact circumstances of the incident.

As the number of recreational runners has grown in recent years, efforts to improve safety in parks and waterfront areas have increased. The Seoul Metropolitan Government's Autonomous Police Committee operated a "running patrol" unit of seven crews comprising 141 members in the first half of this year. Participants jog through parks and riverside spaces and report any hazards they spot, and the initiative has generated a number of crime-prevention reports this year.


kwater@heraldcorp.com