According to a report by Yonhap News Agency on August 13, the Busan District Court in South Korea sentenced a 30-year-old Japanese man, A, on the 12th. He was convicted of forced indecency and was sentenced to 6 months in prison with a 2-year suspension.
A was charged in April of this year with committing sexual assault on a Chinese female tourist who was asleep at a guesthouse in Busan. He touched the victim's head, exposed his own body parts, and even defecated on her. The court determined the offender's conduct was heinous, but considering the circumstances at the time of the offense (the offender was drunk) and his lack of criminal history, the court applied leniency to make a decision.
According to Korean media such as The East Asia Daily, a man graduated from a Japanese university and had a formal job. He was traveling to Korea just before changing jobs when the incident occurred. In court, the man claimed that he committed the crime under the influence of alcohol and said he was reflecting more deeply than anyone else. He also stated that he had agreed to pay 900,000 yen (approximately 38,000 yuan) in compensation to the victim. The South Korean court took into account the factor of settlement when sentencing.
The court explained the judgment by stating that "the nature of the crime was severe, and it is very likely that this incident caused considerable psychological trauma to the victim in a foreign country." However, it also noted that "the defendant is reflecting deeply on his actions, and he has apologized to the victim after the incident took place," and that "the defendant has no criminal record in Japan." Based on these considerations, the aforementioned judgment was made.
According to earlier reports, in April this year, Ms. Zhang, who traveled to South Korea, posted a message on social media stating that she was harassed and insulted by a Japanese man in a room at a youth hostel in Busan. When she woke up and tried to stop the situation, the man deliberately spread filth on her body, bed, and luggage.
Ms. Zhang said that the man became arrogant and verbally provocative afterwards, even trying to approach again, but was stopped by other residents. She took photographs as evidence and reported the incident to the police, but encountered passive handling by the Korean police. Without other options, Ms. Zhang sought help from the Chinese Consulate General in Busan and raised awareness through online platforms, drawing attention from the entire internet community.
According to Red Star News on the 13th, Ms. Zhang said that she learned about the Korean court's judgment from domestic media. "I wasn't notified by any official channels before this incident. It has been four months since the incident occurred, and I have felt passive throughout the process. I had no access to much information. Today, through the media, I finally learned about the judgment result. I feel both disappointed and powerless."
