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Incheon court convicts two men for drugging, sexually assaulting teenage victim

Published: 21 Dec. 2025, 13:57

The Incheon District Court is pictured in this undated file photo. [JOONGANG ILBO]

Two men were sentenced to 12 to 15 years in prison after a court found that they had drugged and sexually assaulted a teenager, using narcotics to leave the victim unable to resist.

The Incheon District Court’s criminal division convicted the two defendants of rape causing injury under the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes, according to officials on Saturday.

The court also ordered one man to complete 40 hours of a drug addiction treatment program and 40 hours of a sexual violence treatment program. It further barred him from working at institutions related to children, adolescents or people with disabilities for 10 years.

Court proceedings showed that the men forcibly administered ecstasy to the victim at a hotel in Yeonsu District, Incheon, on March 7 before sexually molesting her. They later forcibly gave her methamphetamine and raped her at a hotel in Namdong District, Incheon, between March 10 and 11.

The two men, who are friends, met the victim through social media, the court said.

During the trial, a defendant argued that “the relationship was consensual, and there was no forced drug administration,” but the court rejected the claim, saying it conflicted with objective evidence and noting that his statements changed repeatedly.

"The defendants did not stop at using drugs themselves. They also administered narcotics to an 18-year-old victim with no prior experience of drug use,” the court ruled, adding that “they exploited this as leverage to commit the crime, making the illegality extremely serious.”

"The victim and her family have appealed repeatedly for severe punishment, saying they are suffering extreme pain," the court added.

"One defendant committed the crime while already on probation for a drug-related offense, showing little sign of remorse or willingness to comply with the law," the judge said in explaining the sentences.

The other man "attempted to destroy evidence by bleaching his hair after learning that an investigation was underway," the judge 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.
BY JANG GU-SEUL [[email protected]]