Man suspected of hitting 2-year-old in park released after questioning

A 2-year-old child was struck in a random attack at a park in Incheon, the Incheon Bupyeong Police Precinct said on Tuesday.

The suspect was charged with child abuse under the Child Welfare Act. He is accused of hitting the head of a 2-year-old boy at a park in Bupyeong District, Incheon, at around 3:55 p.m. the previous day.

The man allegedly struck the back of the toddler’s head with his hand when the child ran after some pigeons, according to investigators. He reportedly attempted to flee the scene but was apprehended by the 2-year-old’s father and referred to the police.

Later that day, the boy’s father wrote on an online forum that his child had been “randomly attacked by an unknown adult man while he was chasing pigeons and laughing in a park he used to enjoy.”

“It happened in the blink of an eye — just half a second — while I was about five to six meters [20 feet] behind, looking after our dog,” he wrote, sharing CCTV footage of the incident.

“The attacker struck the back of my child’s head using his palm,” continued the father. “My child fell forward, and the impact was so severe that both of his feet lifted about 10 centimeters [3.93 inches] off the ground. […] His forehead hit the ground, leaving it bruised and swollen.”

“The suspect was released after questioning, so we’re unable to leave our home, fearing he could reappear in the neighborhood at any moment. Tomorrow is Children’s Day, but our family is experiencing an unforgettable nightmare.”

Police said that they plan to investigate the motive and the exact circumstances of the case based on the footage and other evidence.

“After arresting the suspect at the scene as a suspect, we confirmed his identity and released him afterward,” a police official said. “We will carry out a further investigation.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.

BY JANG GU-SEUL [[email protected]]