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Police under fire for kid-glove treatment of drunk naked man who shook stranger's doorknob

Published: 03 Sep. 2025, 16:25

A doorknob to a home is seen in this file photo [SCREEN CAPTURE]

A man in his twenties who was caught shaking the doorknob of a stranger's home while naked and drunk was referred to a summary trial instead of the prosecutors, leading to complaints from the victim about the inadequate handling of the case.

The Yeonsu Police Precinct in Incheon said Wednesday that it had sent the man to a summary trial on charges of public indecency. Summary trials are used in cases of minor offenses punishable by fines of up to 200,000 won ($143) and can be requested by the head of the police station without prosecutorial involvement.

The man is accused of attempting to open the door to the home of a woman in her 50s at around 4:14 a.m. on Aug. 24 in a residential officetel in Songdo-dong, Yeonsu District, Incheon, while completely naked.

The man had reportedly consumed alcohol and was seen walking around the hallway after removing his underwear, which he had left behind. He was later detained by police who responded to the scene. Rather than forwarding the case to prosecutors, police chose to refer it directly to a summary trial.

However, the victim said she was left in fear for several days after the incident, as police failed to follow up with her adequately. She filed complaints with the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission and the National Police Agency, accusing police of mishandling the case.

“On the day I reported the incident, no officers came to visit, and I didn’t receive any follow-up contact,” the victim said. “I had to keep calling them myself, but the officer in charge didn’t answer.”

“The man didn’t ring the bell or knock,” she went on. “He just kept rattling the doorknob, which made it even scarier. When I called the police station later to ask for more information, I was told that the officer in charge was off duty, or that they can’t disclose personal information and to ask the officer in charge for details.”

[JOONGANG ILBO]

“The man was walking around the building naked, trying to open strangers' doors, and yet the officer said that 'this kind of thing often happens’ just because he was drunk,” the victim added. “I’m still shaken and living in fear.”

The Songdo police substation, which handled the case, stated that officers responded swiftly and observed no significant issues with the handling of the situation.

“We quickly secured the area, identified the suspect, helped him get dressed and escorted him voluntarily,” an officer from the substation told Yonhap News. “We later explained the case outcome to the victim.”

“The summary trial decision was made based on the judgment of the officers who were at the scene,” the officer added. “The suspect appeared to be heavily intoxicated at the time, and the officers may have believed there was no criminal intent.”

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 KIM JI-HYE [[email protected]]