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'Nya nya nya': Cop accused of prank calling civilian 20 times

Published: 29 Jul. 2025, 17:08

[JOONGANG ILBO]

Authorities are investigation a police officer in Cheonan, South Chungcheong, on suspicion of prank calling a civilian witness nearly 20 times — meowing into the phone and shouting phrases like “Who is this, oppa?” before hanging up.

The officer, a member of a neighborhood patrol unit affiliated with the Cheonan Seobuk Police Precinct, was placed on administrative leave following the incident and is now subject to disciplinary proceedings, police said Tuesday.

The calls were made on the morning of July 16, between 6 and 7 a.m., with the unit’s official telephone line.

During the calls, the officer is accused of uttering incomprehensible phrases such as “nya nya nya,” mimicking cat sounds, and yelled “Why do you keep calling me?” before abruptly hanging up. These behaviors were repeated multiple times. Oppa is a term used by Korean women and girls to refer to an older man or boy

The civilian, who had been questioned as a witness the day before in connection with an assault that had occurred during a drinking session, recognized the incoming number as the same one he had recently contacted. He subsequently filed a complaint through the government’s civil petition platform.

The civilian claimed that the officer had displayed an oppressive attitude during the interview, prompting him to file several complaints via the emergency police line, 112. He believes the prank calls were retaliatory.

The following day, the civilian returned to the precinct and confronted the officer. He claims the officer admitted to having made the calls, stating, “I’m sorry, it was me.”

However, the civilian said the apology lacked sincerity. The officer explained that he “wanted to set an example for younger officers” and that the “nya nya nya” was something he'd picked up from a television drama, downplaying the incident.

In the internal inquiry, the officer reportedly claimed he was trying to divert attention away from other officers involved in the case by drawing focus onto himself.

“We deemed the officer unfit for public-facing duties and placed him on standby,” said a police official. “We are treating this matter with severity and are conducting a thorough investigation.”

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY HYEON YE-SEUL [[email protected]]