Home > National > Social Affairs

Two inmates receive additional sentences for assaulting fellow inmate in detention center

Published: 28 Sep. 2025, 15:34

Police stand guard in front of the Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, Gyeonggi, on July 15. [YONHAP]

Two inmates in their 20s already serving time received additional prison sentences for repeatedly abusing and assaulting a fellow inmate at a detention center who was locked up for statutory rape of a minor.

The Chuncheon District Court on Saturday sentenced a 22-year-old inmate to one year in prison for retaliation and intimidation, as well as joint coercion, joint assault and assault.

Another 21-year-old inmate tried on related charges — joint coercion, joint assault and assault — was also sentenced to one year in prison.

The ruling adds to the 22-year-old’s prison term, who was sentenced in May 2024 by the Seoul High Court to three years in prison and a 300,000 won ($210) fine for joint extortion.

The two inmates were held at the Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, Gyeonggi, from October to November 2023, where they abused a 23-year-old inmate, according to the indictment.

They filled a 5.5-liter (1.5-gallon) container with tap water and told the victim, “If you don’t drink it all within three minutes, we’ll refill it and make you drink again.” They beat the victim with their fists and feet when he vomited while trying to comply. They then refilled the container and forced the victim to drink again.

When the victim asked to use the restroom, they told the victim to “express it with your body” and beat him repeatedly as he danced. They also ordered the victim to take off his shirt, lie on the floor and urinate for a full minute without stopping. When the victim failed, they filled the container with water again, forced the victim to drink and punched him in the abdomen.

Police stand guard in front of the Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, Gyeonggi, on March 7. [YONHAP]

The 22-year-old also extorted 1.5 million won from the victim by telling them, “I spent about 1.5 million won in time, effort, costs and mental stress to help you reach a settlement in your criminal trial. Send me the money, or I’ll write to the victim in your case.” The victim had the money wired to the inmate’s mother’s bank account through the victim’s father.

The 22-year-old also allegedly squeezed cleansing foam, shampoo and conditioner into the victim’s mouth, inserted a hose, turned on the tap to make them drink and threatened to harm the victim’s family if they reported the abuse.

The 21-year-old allegedly kicked the victim’s heels as they swept the floor, causing them to fall, punched them, pulled up their eyelids and flicked their pupils multiple times, among other assaults.

“The crimes were premeditated and carried out with a high degree of physical force, and the defendants caused significant physical and psychological suffering to the victim,” the court said.

It added that violations of the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes “damage not only the rights of individual victims but also public trust in judicial procedures and obstruct the proper exercise of judicial power based on victim protection, making severe punishment necessary.”

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 HYEON YE-SEUL [[email protected]]