"You look really cute. Want to go get some jjamppong?"
Two men in their 20s have been indicted on charges of trying to lure elementary school students into a vehicle with such remarks as the children walked home from school last year in Seoul's Seodaemun District. The pair told police they were "just joking," but prosecutors applied charges of attempted abduction of a minor and child abuse, citing the fact that they approached four lower-grade elementary students three times over about five minutes.
"Want to Go Get Some Jjamppong?" — Three Approaches to Four Children in Five Minutes
According to an indictment from the Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office obtained by the office of Rep. Kim Dong-ah of the Democratic Party of Korea, a member of the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee, the two suspects, identified by their surnames Kim and Park, are accused of attempting to get elementary school students into a vehicle at around 3:31 p.m. on Aug. 28 last year in the Hongeun-dong area of Seoul's Seodaemun District. The indictment was made public on the 22nd.
Prosecutors concluded that the two, who are friends, divided roles in carrying out the acts. Kim drove a sport utility vehicle while Park, in the passenger seat, spoke to the children.
According to the indictment, Kim spotted one boy and told Park, "That kid looks cute, try talking to him." Park asked the boy, "You look really cute. Want to go get some jjamppong?" — a spicy Korean seafood noodle soup — but the boy said, "No," and walked away.
The two then moved the vehicle and approached a second boy, telling him, "We'll take you home." After he refused, they drove to a nearby road and told two other boys, "We'll give you a ride home, get in." When the children tried to leave, Kim backed the vehicle up to move closer to them, investigators found.
The three attempts, made over about five minutes, failed because none of the children got into the vehicle. The victims were four boys in lower grades at two nearby elementary schools.
Another man in his 20s was in the back seat of the vehicle at the time. Police found that he tried to stop the two, telling them the incident could become a serious crime if it went wrong.
"It Was Fun to See the Children Startled" — Prosecutors Also Apply Child Abuse Charge
Kim and Park told police they had no actual intention of getting the children into the vehicle. They said they had been drinking the previous day and were heading home after eating jjamppong together on the day of the incident when they played a prank after seeing the children look startled. No evidence of drinking or drug use at the time of the acts was confirmed.
Confusion arose early in the investigation because the vehicle information reported did not match the actual vehicle. The first report described a white van, but the vehicle was a gray SUV. Police initially failed to confirm the circumstances, but after an additional report came in, they re-analyzed CCTV footage, confirmed images of the students running away and identified the suspects.
Police arrested Kim and two others in September last year and sought detention warrants for the two believed to have led the acts. After further investigation, they referred Kim and Park to prosecutors in March on charges of attempted abduction of a minor, without detention.
The Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office, which took over the case, indicted the two last month on charges of attempted abduction of a minor and violating the Child Welfare Act through child abuse, without detention. Prosecutors concluded that their conduct also amounted to emotional abuse that harmed the mental health and development of the child victims.
Whether the two admit to the charges will be determined at trial. The first hearing is set for the 16th of next month at the Seoul Western District Court.
