Korean Man In His 20s Angers The Public As He Asks For Leniency After Raping An Elementary School Student Multiple Times

A 25-year-old Korean man, Mr. Go, stood trial on May 18, 2023, for the multiple rapes of an elementary school child. The crimes took place on Jeju island and were dealt with by the appropriate court in the Jeju province.

The prosecutor sentenced him to ten years in jail and ten more years of wearing a location tracker. He also will not be able to work at any job to do with children, youth, and the mentally disabled for ten years.

His lawyer pleaded for leniency, citing that “he has not made any excuse for his crimes” and “has acknowledged his crimes and is reflecting.” Using the reason that Mr. Go has not committed other crimes prior, he asked for leniency as far as possible. Mr. Go also apologized to the victim and her parents in court.

Mr. Go approached the victim through social media and pretended to be a middle school student. Through threatening the victim, he brought her to an apartment stairwell and sexually assaulted her. When the victim rejected subsequent meetings with him, Mr. Go threatened to spread the fact that she had participated in sexual acts to her classmates. He later continued to rape her several times after luring her out.

The case angered many citizens who cursed Mr. Go out.