Yonsei University's Sinchon Campus in Seodaemun District, western SeoulYONSEI UNIVERSITY
Police are struggling to track down a man suspected of sexually assaulting people near Yonsei University, with three similar incidents reported over the past two months.
The Seoul Seodaemun Police Station is searching for the unidentified man on suspicion of forcible indecent assault and public indecency, it said Thursday.
The suspect is accused of approaching a Yonsei University student near a dormitory at the university's Sinchon Campus in Seodaemun District, western Seoul, at 10:10 p.m. Wednesday. He allegedly touched the student inappropriately before fleeing, while naked and wearing a black mask.
Police said a man, also naked and wearing a mask, sexually assaulted a passerby on thenearby Ansan Jarak Trail on the evening of June 12. The Ansan Jarak Trail, a walking trail on Mount Ansan in Seodaemun District, is connected to Yonsei University's Sinchon Campus.
In another incident on July 21, a passerby reported seeing a naked, masked man hiding in bushes near the same area.
Police believe the three incidents may have been committed by the same person because of similarities in the suspect's appearance and methods.
More than two months have passed since the first report, but police still have had difficulty tracing the suspect's movements. The incidents occurred around the boundary between the university and the Ansan Jarak Trail, and there are not enough CCTV cameras along the mountain paths — where the suspect is believed to have fled, according to police.
One of the spots at Ansan Jarak Trail on Mount Ansan in Seodaemun District, western SeoulSEOUL TOURISM ORGANIZATION
Police are analyzing footage showing the suspect with assistance from Yonsei University.
The police also secured the shirt worn by the victim of the June 12 assault and are analyzing it for the suspect's DNA. They also plan to conduct DNA testing on a shirt worn by the student who reported Wednesday's incident.
Yonsei University has temporarily closed an entrance connecting the campus to the Ansan Jarak Trail.
"Although the incidents did not occur on campus, we closely reviewed the situation since our student was among the victims," a university official said. "Also, we are checking again whether there were any shortcomings in the tracking cameras and CCTV systems on campus."
"Given the university's location, it is difficult to completely restrict access by outsiders, but we are taking every possible measure within our capabilities," the official added.
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.
