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Police request arrest warrants for Saekdongwon head, staff members over sexual assault allegations

Published: 10 Feb. 2026, 13:04

The building of Saekdongwon, a residential facility for people with disabilities in Ganghwa County, Incheon [JOONGANG ILBO]

Police on Monday requested arrest warrants for the head of Saekdongwon, accused of sexually assaulting multiple women with severe developmental disabilities at the residential care facility, as well as for members of the staff.

The warrant was filed against the Saekdongwon head on charges of violating the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes and the Act on Welfare of Persons with Disabilities, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Saekdongwon investigation team. An arrest warrant was also applied for one employee on charges of assault under the Welfare of Persons with Disabilities Act. A different employee, also accused of the same offense, will be investigated without detention.

Nineteen women who resided at Saekdongwon experienced sexual violence by the head of the facility, as well as physical abuse by staff members, according to an investigative report obtained by the JoongAng Ilbo.

"Since Saekdongwon opened in 2008, 87 people with disabilities and 152 staff members have been associated with the facility," said Seoul Metropolitan Police Commissioner Park Jeong-bo during a regular press briefing on Monday.

“Investigators are conducting a full-scale investigation involving all former staff members and residents,” Park continued. “So far, six people have been identified as confirmed victims, and we are continuing to verify additional cases.”

Authorities are conducting a preliminary investigation into the allegations that Saekdongwon also misused government subsidies. The facility receives approximately 1 billion won ($683,000) annually in public subsidies, in addition to disability-related allowances, according to Park.

Police searched and seized the facility last September, imposed a travel ban on the head of the facility, and have since questioned 20 female residents who were living at Saekdongwon until January. A special investigation team was formed on Jan. 31 following the direction of Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, with 27 police officers assigned to the case.

Police said they had already been conducting an internal probe into allegations surrounding Saekdongwon since May last year, before the special task force was launched.

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 IM SOUNG-BIN [[email protected]]