A South Korean court has sentenced the former director of a disabled care home to 15 years in prison for sexually assaulting multiple residents, in a case that has shocked the nation.
The man, identified as Kim, received a 15‑year prison sentence for sexually abusing three residents at the Saekdongwon care facility in Incheon City, located west of Seoul.
Police launched an investigation against Kim after one of his victims, a woman with a severe intellectual disability, came forward in February of the previous year.
The case has prompted the South Korean government to inspect 1,507 care facilities for disabled individuals nationwide, where 33 additional cases of suspected abuse were uncovered.
Prime Minister Kim Min‑seok described the abuse at Saekdongwon as “a grave matter that calls into question the very reason for the state’s existence.”
An in‑depth assessment commissioned by Ganghwa County found that 20 current and former female residents may have suffered sexual abuse.
Many South Koreans have questioned how such a case could still occur, especially after laws were tightened in 2011 to protect people with disabilities from sexual assault.
Others have raised questions about how the director’s actions could have gone unnoticed for so long.
Ganghwa County has ordered Saekdongwon to close, and Incheon City officials have revoked the operating licence of the foundation that ran the facility.
However, the closure has been postponed until the remaining residents have been relocated and arrangements for independent living are finalized.
The foundation has filed an administrative lawsuit contesting the revocation of its licence.
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