Prosecutors have sought a prison sentence for an active-duty police officer who was put on trial for demanding sexual relations from the mother of a criminal case suspect.
On May 21, the prosecution requested a one-year prison sentence for Officer Kim, who is affiliated with the Gangseo Police Station in Seoul, during a trial for alleged sexual assault at the Southern Seoul District Court.
The prosecution stated, “The defendant’s conduct is of poor character as he molested a victim he met through a criminal case. He caused irreversible harm not only to the victim but also to the victim’s family, without showing any remorse.”
The defense denied the crime and argued, “The defendant regrets making inappropriate remarks after suddenly drinking a large amount of alcohol. However, at the time the defendant made the sexually harassing remarks, it was impossible for him to have any physical contact.”
Officer Kim, the defendant, also explained, “I deeply regret making the inappropriate remarks and sincerely apologize. However, I was too drunk to recognize who the other person was, and I did not have any physical contact that led to sexual assault.”
Officer Kim is accused of privately meeting the mother of a suspect in a case he handled, making physical contact, and demanding sexual relations.
In December 2022, it was revealed that he called the suspect’s mother saying, “I helped resolve your child’s case, so let’s meet,” then drank alcohol and made inappropriate remarks such as, “I like you,” and “You’re beautiful. What if we slept together?”
